Introduction

Introduce the idea of rules with some key questions:

• What rules do we have in school?
• Who makes those rules?
• Why do we have those rules?
• What happens if someone breaks those rules?
• Why is it important that everyone sticks to those rules?
• Are there ever any times when someone might need to break the rules? [e.g. running in the corridor to get help for someone who has been hurt]

Activity

Explain that Harold the giraffe  is on the School Council of his school (if your school doesn’t have a School Council then explain what this is – if it does then you can talk about what the school council is there for).

Harold and the School Council are looking at their school rules and helping the teachers to decide if these rules are OK or if they need changing.

Show the Harold's school rules slide on the IWB. Go through these with the children then ask them, in pairs or small groups, to look at the rules and decide which ones to keep and which ones need changing.

Ask them to think about the following when discussing this:

• Which rules do they think needed changing and why?
• Which rules were OK to stay and why?
• Are there any rules that they think Harold's school council should add to the list - and if so, why?

The rules are:

• Always walk in the corridors
• No eating in the playground
• No talking in the dinner hall
• Only play football on the football pitch
• No toys allowed in school
• No mobile phones allowed in school
• Look after your own things
• Be kind to your friends

If necessary, read the rules one at a time to the class and give time for discussion before moving to the next.

Ask the children to feedback their ideas to the whole class. 

What other rules might Harold and the School Council want to add to the list?

Ask the pairs/groups to draw or write some rules that they think would be good to add to the list.