At St Peter’s, Talk Assemblies take place every other Tuesday and are a valued part of our school week. They are designed to give children a regular, purposeful opportunity to talk, listen, reflect and learn from one another.

Each Talk Assembly works slightly differently from a traditional whole-school assembly. One house is chosen each time to join Mrs Rynne in the hall. All members of that house attend together and are deliberately seated alongside children from different year groups. The remaining houses take part in the Talk Assembly within their classrooms, led by their class teacher. This structure ensures that every child participates, while also giving each house regular opportunities to come together as a wider community.

This approach strongly supports our school value of community. By mixing with pupils outside their own year group, children build relationships across the school, develop confidence when speaking with different peers, and strengthen a sense of belonging to their house and to St Peter’s as a whole. Sitting, listening and contributing respectfully also reinforces sportsmanship and cooperation.

Talk Assemblies focus on meaningful discussion rather than passive listening. Children explore a range of age-appropriate themes, including wellbeing, friendships, fairness, equality and moral questions. We also use these assemblies to explicitly discuss protected characteristics, helping children to develop understanding, empathy and respect for others. 

As a Rights Respecting School, Talk Assemblies provide a clear platform for children to learn about the Rights of the Child and to experience these rights in action, particularly the right to be heard.

These sessions actively develop children’s speaking and listening skills, encouraging them to articulate ideas, listen carefully to others and respond thoughtfully. Because the format is discussion-based, children’s voices are central and valued, supporting our belief that every child’s opinion matters.