From Monday 10th to Friday 14th November, we celebrated Human Rights and Kindness Week, recognising Human Rights Day on 10th December 2025 and World Kindness Day on 13th November 2025. The week aimed to foster empathy, respect, and awareness of human rights. Students engaged in a range of creative and reflective activities that explored kindness, celebrated diversity, and highlighted the importance of fairness, equality, and responsibility within both the school and the wider community.
Throughout the week, students participated in activities across tutor groups, houses, and lessons that encouraged reflection and positive action. In both the senior and prep schools, they created “kindness rings”, paper rings inscribed with thoughtful messages, which were displayed around the school as a colourful reminder of the impact of small acts of kindness. For the first time, Epsom also took part in the global event Positive Noticing Day, during which students from both the prep and senior school wrote uplifting comments about their peers on brown labels and shared them, attaching the labels to bags, water bottles, and clothing. This initiative fostered a warm and supportive atmosphere, celebrating kindness and the positive contributions of everyone in the school community.
The Thrive Thursday programme, led by Ms Indah, encouraged students to explore identity and human rights. Activities included an Identity Collage highlighting the right to identity, family, and culture, a Campaign Slogan Challenge to promote kindness, fairness, and rights in school and the wider community, and a Visual Statement project reflecting respect, freedom, and equality. In the houses on Friday morning, students wrote words about kindness and human rights on a human template, fostering discussion and reflection within family groups.
Additionally, PSHE lessons, designed by Mr Garnett, Head of PSHE, focused on human rights education. Year 7 and 8 students explored the fundamentals of human rights, while Year 10 examined instances of rights violations and reflected on the balance between responsibilities and rights. These lessons equipped students with a deeper understanding and encouraged critical thinking about fairness, equality, and their role in promoting a just society.
Human Rights and Kindness Week was a resounding success, engaging students in creative, reflective, and practical activities that highlighted the importance of empathy, respect, and fairness. The week fostered a supportive and inclusive atmosphere, allowing students to celebrate diversity and understand their role in promoting kindness and human rights. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of these initiatives continue throughout the school community.
Mrs Kate Fowler and Mrs Jenny Garnett
Deputy Headteacher, Pastoral Care & Students Wellbeing and Assistant Headteacher, Wellbeing and Behaviour