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Why School Assemblies Are Easier Than You Think

Former headteacher Mike Kent shares what he's learned about putting on a great assembly – and recalls how inspiration can come from all manner of sources…

Mike Kent
by Mike Kent
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Most of us can remember school assemblies that bored us to tears. If we didn’t actually fall asleep, we couldn’t believe that time could stand still for so long.

When I began teaching back in the 60s, I learned very quickly how an assembly shouldn’t be done. At my first school, we’d file into the hall and things would begin with a prayer. Then there was usually a telling off because a school rule had been broken, a song would be sung and out we’d go again. It was an utterly pointless 20 minutes.

Corridor credibility

My second headteacher had a thing about lost property. Brought up in an age of austerity, he expected children to label their clothing and keep track of them at all times. Frequently, he’d find a single plimsoll or glove in the corridor, and spend much of the assembly holding up pieces of clothing to be identified. It seemed to me a way of avoiding having to think of something worthwhile to do with the children.

And yet a 20-minute primary school assembly can be a wonderful time for both children and teachers. Young children have a real thirst for knowledge, and an endless fascination with the world around them which we, as teachers, need to nurture. By providing a great start to the day, children can be inspired and motivated, while teachers can be given ideas and themes which they may want to develop in their own classrooms.

If the headteacher is taking the assembly, it’s a great chance for them not only to entertain and enthuse the children, but to prove that even though they are no longer in the classroom, they can still fascinate them and hold their attention with ease. It certainly gives them a great deal of ‘corridor credibility’ with teaching staff!

A valued feature of the day

Right from the start of my headship, I wanted to make my assemblies a valued feature of the day. Ideas would often come to me on the spur of the moment, or be inspired by something a member of staff had done or said.

Sorting out her loft one Sunday, a teacher had discovered a 1930s phonograph. It was complete, but in pieces. We had a wonderful time in assembly on Monday morning, gradually putting it back together while the children tried to guess what it was as it took shape.

On another occasion, after seating five teachers on a wooden gymnastics bench, I challenged a tiny infant child to lift up the bench. The children all said it was impossible – but then, to their great amusement, I introduced the car jack I’d been using before school started, put it under one end of the bench and the infant pumped it up with ease! This led to a discussion on other amazing machines and how they work, such as the crane that was being used on a housing development opposite the school.

A little gentle persuasion

Sometimes my own children would provide the inspiration. When we walked in the rain and saw a rainbow, my youngest daughter provided enough assembly material for several days. How was a rainbow formed and why were there seven colours? Why were they always in the same order – and how do we ‘see’ colour, anyway?

Of course, the children themselves are an amazing resource for assemblies. Many of them will have a hobby or interest, and it only takes a little gentle persuasion for them to be willing to share it with everybody else. Bobby, one of my Y6 children, fished every Sunday with his dad. He was only 11, but there was precious little he didn’t know about it. He gave the children a fascinating lesson in how to become an expert fisherman, demonstrating how to use rods, lines, floats and flies, and explaining what could be caught where.

Teachers and classroom assistants can usually be persuaded to do a turn as well. One of my classroom helpers was a dab hand at building Victorian-style dolls’ houses, and the children were fascinated to learn how she constructed all the tiny furniture for them. Another teacher explained that he loved learning something new, and showed us how he’d taught himself to play the banjo – adding that it was a lot more fun than playing computer games, fiddling with a phone or watching telly!

It was knowing the value of a good assembly that made me write Amazing Assemblies For Primary Schools. Having been a headteacher for 30 years, it was enormously difficult to compile, simply because I had so much material to choose from. But I do know that all the assemblies I have chosen for the book can be prepared and presented by any teacher – and that children will be fascinated by them.

Mike Kent was a head teacher for 30 years and formerly a columnist for the Times Educational Supplement; he is also the co-author of 27 musical plays for primary schools and the writer of three books on education.

His first resource book for teachers, Amazing Assemblies for Primary Schools, is available now from Crown House Publishing

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