News and Views: Forgiveness and Rosh Hashanah assembly
Forgiveness and Rosh Hashanah assembly for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
This forgiveness assembly gives pupils the opportunity to explore what it really means to say sorry, make amends and forgive someone. Using the Jewish festival of Rosh Hashanah and a real-world example of the FA apologising for its historic ban on women’s football, pupils consider the big question: Can people always be forgiven when they do something wrong?
Designed for EYFS, KS1 and KS2, the resource can be used for a whole-school assembly, class assembly, PSHE or SMSC discussion, or a meaningful 15–25 minute classroom discussion.
Can people always be forgiven when they do something wrong?
Pupils look closely at photographs, explore different viewpoints and vote on the question: Should we forgive people straight away if they say sorry?
They consider what makes an apology genuine, whether saying sorry is always enough, why forgiveness can take time and whether actions should still have consequences. Pupils then take part in a short debate before voting again and considering whether anything they have heard has changed their thinking.
What’s included in the forgiveness assembly?
The complete News and Views topic pack includes:
- ready-to-use assembly slides
- a detailed teacher guide with background information, suggested timings and delivery guidance
- a photo pack
- differentiated word banks and discussion prompts for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
- phase-appropriate lesson and follow-up activities
- a family discussion prompt
- a pupil reflection challenge
✨ How to use the launchable slides
Launch the presentation directly in your browser and use it on your interactive whiteboard.
🧭 Use the lesson menu at the start of the presentation to jump straight to the lesson you are teaching.
📝 Click Notes to see teacher guidance, answers and additional information where included.
⬅️ ➡️ To move through the presentation, click on the slides first, then use the left and right cursor arrow keys on your keyboard.
For technical and copyright reasons, these presentation slides are available to launch online rather than download.
Rosh Hashanah, forgiveness and the wider curriculum
The assembly makes meaningful connections with British Values, SMSC, PSHE, RE and oracy. Pupils learn about Rosh Hashanah and Jewish traditions while exploring mutual respect and tolerance, the Rule of Law, individual liberty, conflict resolution and personal responsibility.
The discussion also supports pupils in thinking about how people can repair relationships after something has gone wrong, including offering a genuine apology, making amends, rebuilding trust and learning from past mistakes.
Activities for EYFS, KS1 and KS2
The follow-up activities are adapted for each phase. EYFS children explore fixing and repairing broken items and talk about how people can make things better. KS1 pupils act out a familiar classroom scenario and discuss how someone can apologise and put things right. KS2 pupils consider a situation where a school rule has been broken and discuss whether saying sorry is enough or whether there should also be a consequence.
This resource is part of News and Views, our collection of ready-to-use whole-school and class assemblies exploring current affairs, real-world issues and thought-provoking questions. Explore our primary assembly resources.
