Jarrow school partners with South Shields charity to challenge homelessness stereotypes
Jarrow schoolchildren help tackle and raise awareness of homelessness through a school/charity partnership.
Jarrow school pupils have been inspired after visiting a homelessness charity in South Shields.
Year 5 pupils and teachers from St Bede’s Catholic Primary School, on Harold Street, spent a day at Emmaus North East as part of real-world meaningful learning that focused on homelessness.
Pupils presented speeches on the theme of homelessness, took part in a poetry workshop led by Andy Mears, made crafts, enjoyed music and shared lunch with members of the Emmaus community.
The charity, on Stanhope Road, can house and support up to 22 people at any one time at its residential community home, provides a free community launderette, a wood workshop and volunteer opportunities to combat loneliness and social exclusion.
‘Valuable real-world context’
Kayleigh McLaren, deputy headteacher and Year 5 class teacher at St Bede’s, has given an insight into why pupils from the school spent a day at Emmaus.
She said: “The visit formed part of the pupils’ learning in English and religious education, linking their written work on homelessness with Catholic Social Teaching.
“It aimed to deepen pupils’ understanding of dignity, compassion and service, reflecting the teachings of Jesus and the call within the Bible to care for others.
“The experience also provided a valuable real-world context for learning and supported pupils in exploring potential careers within charitable and community-focused roles.
“They demonstrated increased empathy, confidence in public speaking and a greater awareness of charitable work.
“The opportunity for pupils to present their work directly to members of the Emmaus community, participate in a specialist poetry workshop, and spend time alongside individuals with lived experience made this a powerful and memorable educational experience.”
‘Fully engrossed in their learning’
The visit has built upon a programme of learning, which has included pupils interviewing Emmaus staff and a formerly homeless individual.
It has also seen them collecting and donating essential care items, writing positive messages of hope and visiting the Jarrow-based Emmaus shop to learn about its role within the wider community.
Mrs McLaren has praised the pupils for their enthusiasm both in and out of the classroom as the relationship between the school and charity continues to grow.
She added: “It has been wonderful to see how the relationship between our school and Emmaus North East has grown.
“Our pupils have been fully engrossed in their learning, both inside and outside the classroom, and have demonstrated great respect and compassion when exploring such a sensitive and important subject.”
Challenging stereotypes
Sue Shaw, community manager at Emmaus North East, has expressed how important it is for the charity to help youngsters learn about homelessness and challenge the stereotypes surrounding the issue.
She commented: “We are so grateful for the opportunity to work with St Bede’s School and Mrs McLaren.
“The pupils are a credit to the school, showing interest, respect and kindness around a topic that we need to educate children about.
“Due to the success of this work, we are creating a Homeless Education Project to hopefully roll-out to other schools.
“Visits like this are an important way of helping young people learn about homelessness, challenge stereotypes and understand how small acts of kindness and support can make a real difference in people’s lives.”