CSALT
What is CSALT?
CSALT stands for Christian School Assembly Link Team.
The work of CSALT commenced in 1999 with one member visiting 4 schools in the town of Northampton providing a valued service by conducting assemblies and RE lessons. Over the intervening years the list of schools supported grew, as did the team, until 2019 (just pre-COVID pandemic) the number of schools visited had grown to 85 covering the whole of the county. The majority of these schools are Primary Schools and these include both community schools and those with church (both Church of England and Catholic Church) associations.
During the pandemic schooling went online and in response we developed a number of video presentations of our assemblies which are still available on YouTube under “CSALT Bible Stories for Schools.”
When schools fully reopened to visitors after some 2 years the number visited had fallen to some 55 mainly due to the main, senior contact at the school having left. However, that number has now grown to 65. A list of schools which have been supported can be seen below, those currently visited are shown with an * and extracts from some recommendations from senior staff are given later. Nearly all of the new schools we link with are the result of staff moving to a school we didn’t visit and requesting that we support them at the new venue.
What does CSALT offer?
Assemblies
The assembly subjects covered can tie in with themes set by the school or be left to the team to decide. In every case the subject will be delivered via a Bible, or Bible based, story and will not promote any particular denominational doctrine. Various visual aids are used in presenting the stories varying from object lessons through a large ‘storyboard’ to computerized presentations.
RE Lessons
In a lesson context we offer specific presentations which are really targeted at years 5 and 6 but can stretch to year 4 and deal with World War 1, our church’s involvement with a community in Romania. Brief details are:
World War 1 Presentation
The WW1 item is a PowerPoint presentation which lasts about 45 minutes. It outlines the experiences of William Coltman (you can Google him) the most decorated British non-commissioned officer in the conflict, deals briefly with his life and what he did to be awarded the honours, despite never firing a shot, and what life was like in that war. It also details why he did what he did – because he was a Christian. There would be time for pupils to ask questions after the presentation. We offer this all through the year. (It also just so happens that Coltman was the grandfather of a great friend of ours). A teacher’s comments on this presentation are copied below:
“At Duston Eldean over the last few years, we have had the pleasure of listening to Wyn William’s presentation all about the inspirational WW1 soldier, William Coltman. Every Year Six cohort has been enthralled with the captivating story behind this highly decorated soldier. The presentation begins with a clear and detailed summary of the reasons behind the outbreak of World War One, with fantastic visual images (and sound effects!) to support the children’s understanding. As the life of William Coltman is re-told, the children are fascinated to learn how a devout Christian (who refused to carry a gun or kill anyone) could become such a decorated, well-respected soldier. Interwoven within his life story is additional information to support the children’s comprehension of World War One, including looking at how propaganda was used to successfully recruit soldiers to the British army; facts about key battles on the Western front as well as details about the appalling conditions that the frontline had to endure within the trenches. This information is supported by photos, graphics and primary video footage. This is a truly inspiring presentation that would support any year groups studying World War One within history as well as within RE lessons when discussing how religious beliefs can shape people’s lives.“
Kate Burrows (November, 2023)
Romanian Presentation
The Romanian PowerPoint presentation, titled ‘Opportunities to Help Others’, deals with our church’s links with Romania, from an initial charity involvement supplying clothes, food etc. to enabling a community there to start up a bakery which over the years has grown and is now a fluorishing business supporting and prospering the community. Actions of other organisations are also outlined. Its theme is ‘making the best of opportunities offered. Again, this lasts about 30 mins, leaving time for questions.
Some other topics we have covered in RE Lessons are ‘The Bible and how we got it’, “The Bible, its Source and Importance for us”, ‘Christianity in Action’, ‘What we do at the Gospel Hall’. We have also participated in Q & A sessions discussing e.g. ‘Christians and what they believe’ and ‘How can a scientist believe the Bible”. If you have a subject you would like us to cover or would like to visit the Gospel Hall to see what we do there as part of a lesson, please contact us using the form at the bottom of this page.
Exhibitions
The ‘Real Christmas’ Exhibition deals with the Biblical account of the Nativity and the reason for it. It consists of a series of 12 display panels (approx. 2.5m x 1m – see examples below) which requires a very big classroom or ideally the main hall. Pupils are led around the displays, completing a worksheet as they listen. This should take about 30minutes with time left for a short quiz to reinforce what has been shown/told. Ideally a class of 25 – 30 can visit the exhbition at a time so we would arrange to be there for a whole morning or afternoon if required. We offer this during the month of December.
All members of the CSALT team are registered children’s workers with full DBS disclosures.
If you would like further details on any of the above please do not hesitate to contact Wyn Williams by email on csalt316@btinternet.com or contact us via this website
Response to CSALT
