Junior school leaders from the Viking Academy Trust are on a fact finding mission to ensure behaviour and manners remains top of the class.
The VAT Pupil Council – drawn from children from Upton Junior School, Chilton Primary and Ramsgate Arts Primary – have begun a project researching and evaluating etiquette.
They brainstormed a range of ideas and suggestions under a number of headings that covered dining and table manners, meeting and greeting, conversation, winning and losing gracefully, requests and gratitude.
The next stage is for each school to create a video and posters individually about their findings and then lead an assembly at their respective schools.
The final evaluation will come when the VAT Pupil Council present their final findings when they next meet in the spring.
Hanna Beech, Deputy Head of School at Ramsgate Arts Primary, led the joint meeting.
She said: “Etiquette, behaviour and manners are an important cornerstone of our children’s lives at school, in their home and family environment, and in wider society. A strong foundation will give them a code to live by for the rest of their lives.
“Kindness, respect, being helpful, disagreement and conflict resolution also all come under the initiative that the pupils are leading as a joint council for the Trust schools.
“They are sharing ideas, breaking down barriers and working well together towards a common goal. The topics encompassed by etiquette are wide and varied and generated a lot of positive discussion that will drive the development of this project in the coming months.”
Viking Academy Trust Executive Head Teacher Michaela Lewis added: “Reinforcing the strong standard of behaviour in our schools is an important initiative and our Pupil Council are taking this project seriously and with real enthusiasm.
“Myself and the VAT staff are interested the conclusion to their research. We always listen to their points of view and discuss with the children ways in which we can all work together to improve ourselves and our communities. We will look seriously at the outcome of this project which I am sure will be positive for us all.”
“The link between our three schools is strong and this is one of many regular joint ventures where the pupils work together, share ideas and information, and help improve their respective learning environments.”