​We recognise the great importance of promoting an active citizenship based on the respect for the human rights and values such as mutual respect, tolerance, dialogue among cultures and recognition of the importance of democratic processes at all levels.
We believe it is necessary to create opportunities for discussion and finding everyone's opinions, we want to hear everyone's voice. We will do this by engaging our whole school communities- pupils, parents, staff, governing bodies and the wider community.
Our project theme will be Kids In DemocracieS Are Encouraging Us (KIDS ARE EU).We will empower children to make responsible informed life choices. We will relate common threads of development through a context of safe living, with focus on developing skills, knowledge and attitudes ( high self-esteem and sense of belonging ) that help prepare pupils for democratic life, promoting democratic schools and fostering participation at all levels and sharing decision making.
We will explore factors that affect choices children make- where any factor presents a barrier to participation we will work to overcome this,we will remove both "real" barriers and "perceived" barriers. We will also focus on respect for "difference" and the richness of European diversity. We will promote celebration of others, not tolerance of others. We will promote the principle that Every Child Belongs.
We will promote maximum inclusion and positive integration but not assimilation.
We will facilitate the inclusion of all children, including especially those at risk of exclusion or belonging to marginalised groups because of social, economic ethnic and disability reasons.
The development of "the whole child growing to become the whole adult" will be the "fil rouge" or key thread of our project.





Our objectives can be summarised as targeting:
- Promoting active European citizenship
- Promoting positive behaviour
- Creating a shared definition of "Democracy" and democratic conscience based on respect and mutual understanding
- Participating in democratic processes
- Knowing that that individual voices/opinions matter and 'make a difference'
- Enhancing shared work with local, regional and national authorities/other organisations to promote the ideas of democratic participation in all the partner countries.
- Enhancing awareness of self and others.
- Increasing self-confidence and self-esteem
- Developing social skills
- Overcoming stereotyping in society
- Removing barriers to participation
- Promoting inclusion at all levels
- Holding a European School Council Session at the conclusion of the partnership
- Collaborative curriculum based work with partner schools
Summary of the Project
Aims of Project
Comenius will be an integrated into School development Policy and will be supported by school managers. School Governors will be kept informed of project development.
Information will be passed to parents appropiately.
Each partner will maintain a project display in a prominent position in school.
We will establish, through questionnaires, an initial base of participation levels, to assist in forming accurate starting points and to identify benchmarks for evaluation of progress.
Children's work will be the primary focus of project development.
Children will design our logo, using ICT to facilitate reaching agreement this.
The effective coordination of European School Council Sessions will be central.
Children will detail basic information about themselves, their towns, regions and countries.
In Year 1 we will begin work on building our European themed dictionary of Emotional Intelligence.
Our project mascots will travel across our schools with shared project materials for storybook. Children will create a mobile exhibition to accompany the mascots across Europe.
Good communication will be maintained. We have already established good communication lines.
Children will be the main contributors to our website.
Three project meetings will take place in Year 1. We will evaluate progress and refine planning.
In Year 2 we will promote further aspects of the project.
We will continue to develop the range of activities undetaken in Year 1 will be extended.
We will ensure maximum active involvement of all partners, staff, pupils, parents and others.
Four meetings will take place in Year 2 using these to reniew and complete project development. We will ensure that all end products are achieved including dictionary, calendar, storybook and mobile exhibition.
We will be working towards the climax of our project, a European School Council Assembly. Children from partner schools will travel to N. Ireland for this.
We will develop the partnership beyond the project period to the mutual benefit of each of our schools.
Planned Activities
Pupils of all ages across our schools will have opportunities to contribute to the project. Opportunities will be developed that allow children to discuss the project at length and that assist in forward planning and evaluation of the project. We will ensure maximum inclusion of children, including those of all ability levels and children at risk of exclusion due to disability, special educational needs, ethnic, social, economic or other circumstance.
Children's voices will be heard in our project. We want them to discuss, participate and give their opinions about school running .We want to promote sense of belonging,active citizenship, identity and awareness of European context.
Careful planning and structuring of activities the project will ensure the active participation of children.
Our pupils School Councils will constitute the heart of our project.
Children will be in direct contact with each other including hard copy writing, e-mail, video-conferencing, etc.
Through discussion, questioning and writing children's views will be sought and will assit in planning and generating work related materials.
Older children will, for instance, assit in developing learning materials to be used by younger pupils.
Pupil will view and share each other's work at various times through the development of the project.
All staff will become actively involved in the project in the playground, in the classroom and at school International Group level. Our Comenius Coordinator will lead activity in each school. Staff have been consulted on the proposed Project focus and support this enthusiastically. The views of staff on progress of the project are welcome at all times. Staff will have opportunity to participate in mobility activities. The project will have the active support of School Leadership Teams and School Management bodies.
Participant's Involvement
