This week, we asked a large group of Junior School students what it means to be brave. One child said, ‘it means you aren’t scared of anything’. For our young children, the word bravery conjures up images of superheroes defeating evil villains and princesses saving their families. We used this opportunity to explain to children the relationship between fear and bravery.

Bravery is not the opposite of fear. Fear and bravery coexist, as without fear, there is no reason to be brave. Being brave doesn’t mean we aren’t scared, but that we have rallied enough internal resources to push through the anxiety, the self-doubt and our unhelpful thinking. We are choosing to act in a way that aligns with our core values.

Over the year, the Student Development Team works with each stage of our JS about what it means to be brave. We want to encourage, equip and empower our young people to take small steps towards the source of their fear. And each time they take a brave step forward, it reinforces their ability to cope, and to do hard things.