This lent over 350 pupils from St Laurence’s CE Primary school in Coventry took part in a competitive challenge to explore what justice means today.
Thanks to a generous donor, every child in Years 1-6 of the school, which serves the Longford area of Coventry and is part of the Diocesan Multi Academy Trust, were given a copy of the Church of England’s Live Lent: Embracing Justice booklet at the beginning of Lent.
Each week during their class assemblies, the children would talk and reflect on the challenges they had taken part in at home, and record how many challenges they had attempted over the last 7 days. In the weekly Collective Worship Assemblies on Wednesday mornings (which have returned to the adjacent St Laurence’s Church after a period of online worship during the pandemic) the children explored the different biblical themes of justice in the booklets, based on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Lent Book 2022: Embracing Justice by Isabelle Hamley.
In a special end of term Easter Assembly, which included prayers written by members of the ICONS council for Peace in Ukraine, it was revealed to the whole school community that over the 5 ½ weeks of lent during the school half term, the total number of challenges completed across the school was 3185! Chocolate prizes were awarded to the top classes in each key stage, with a very close finish in the final days of the challenge.
Two pupils from Year 6 said this about the challenges:
“We personally think the challenges were easy for us. For instance, in Week 3 'Just Relationships', many people may not be comfortable to socialize to people. Justice is not only getting help from others, it is proving you can give, love and show kindness.”
Mrs Michelle Cuskelly, Headteacher at St Laurence’s CE Primary School said:
“At a time when there is so much uncertainty in the world, these challenges have really helped us explore what Lent is about, and the children have been very enthusiastic in joining in with the challenges. Well done to everyone involved.”
Rev Gareth Irvine, Foundation Governor and Vicar at St Laurence’s Church said:
“This was a brilliant example of the school and church working together to support children and families in our community explore and live out our values of growing in faith, living in hope, and learning to love. Maybe next year we need to some of the tasks to be even more challenging!"