Golden Rules

Golden Rules From Jenny Mosley

Jenny Mosley’s Golden Rules are based on sound moral values. Best of all, they permeate every aspect of school life, providing safe guidelines for everyone to follow.

Every educational community needs rules or school values to live by. Therefore these Rules are specially developed for children as they encompass the key broad moral values. Additionally, they differ from classroom routines which help organise the classroom, like putting away the scissors.  So, the moral values fall within categories of being kind, honest, gentle, listen well, working hard, looking after property.  Due to this, it is a great idea to clearly depict, discuss and embed these rules with children. This helps children have a clear picture of what good, respectful behaviour looks like.

The Golden Rules

Jenny’s positive behaviour training introduces the idea of having a set of boundaries, and of reinforcing and embedding these boundaries into everyday school life. It is best to display the rules in each classroom and in several places around the school. The displays work best if the rules have photographs around them of happy children keeping the rules while doing different activities. This is because not all children access the rules well via the written or spoken word. Jenny’s posters have images on of children following the rules too, to reinforce the message for these children.

Jenny says it is a fascinating exercise to sit with children at all key stages in Circle Time and to ask them what photographs they would use to show children keeping the Golden Rules. For example, for the rule about being gentle, Early Years children might choose a picture of a child playing calmly. Whereas in Year 6 they might choose a picture of an older child looking after a younger child. Once you have established the rules or moral values, children can work with them – with discussions, role play and drama. Assemblies are great for celebrating the rules too, especially after a holiday. Classes can also practice and reinforce the rules through Circle Time games and activities and using stories and poems.