Manna interview: A time to reflect

Grant Swarbrooke, Head of Swainswick School in Bath, shares their Easter plans.

How do you mark Easter at your school?

At Swainswick we have two curriculums, our subject curriculum and our Wider Curriculum that focuses on the children’s personal development that is centred around our Christian values. This is lived out in our Easter celebration, which the children have got total ownership of. 

What is planned this year?

We always have a beautiful music concert that is entwined with Easter. The children will be performing individually and in bands. They will write and perform their own poetry, prayers and readings.

What message do the children take away?

Easter is a time of reflection and the story of Jesus dying on the cross offers us a time to stop and reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. It also offers us a time to reflect about ourselves, the world around us, and each other. 

That is at the centre of our values and our learning. Easter is a lovely way to encourage the children to think about those important things – in this very busy world.

How else do you live out your Christian values?

In our lesson called Future Fridays we discuss ‘Our Global Responsibility’. Every Friday the children run a refill shop for the community, and have invited speakers, such as Amnesty International and Red Card to Racism. 

We’ve also recently introduced the Archbishop’s Young Leaders Award.

What is the award?

It is designed to equip children and young people in character education, to build their leadership skills and faith development, and to empower them to undertake a variety of transformational social action projects in their local communities. 

We feel it fits well with the work we are already undertaking at Swainswick.
 

This interview featured in the March 2024 issue of the Manna mailing.