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I'm me I'm special report - an NCBI Lancashire Project : summary
In the academic year 2005/06, the I'm Me and I'm Special programme was funded by the Lancaster District Local Strategic Partnership to work within Bowerham County Primary School, Dallas Road County Primary School and Morecambe Bay County Primary School. The project was delivered to both year 3 and year 4 pupils in each school. This was the second year that the programme has operated in Dallas Road and the first time that the programme has operated in both Bowerham and Morecambe Bay.
The project aims to develop a community based response to dealing with name calling, teasing and bullying and to encourage children, staff and parents to have a collective responsibility for dealing with it. The principle of the project is to develop strategies with the children so that they have the tools themselves for dealing with name calling and bullying and are not reliant on adults to intervene.
Using interactive games, role plays and characters the children are taught three strategies for dealing with name calling in stage one of the project, and seven strategies for managing conflict in stage two of the project. These strategies are aimed at children building stronger relationships with their peers, raising self esteem, learning avoidance strategies and encouraging children to stand up for themselves and each other.
The thinking behind the curriculum is to introduce sensitive topics in a safe way before focussing on the children's own experiences, by using characters and personal life stories of the staff team. Using the specific identities of staff members means that children are better able to relate to the personal stories. For example a staff member who identifies as mixed race allows Black and Asian children to share more freely their experiences.
Parents were invited to visit the project and to volunteer in the classroom. During 2005/2006 two parents were able to participate in at least one session. Letters are sent home every week detailing what we have done with the children, asking parents to try out some of the strategies with the children and share their own experiences of name calling and bullying.
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