Circle time is a way of getting people to talk democratically about problems with equal respect for everybody; the problems could be things which are happening in the group, which people wouldn’t usually want to talk about, or they could be things happening outside which people have strong views about. In the web-pages you will find what Peter Lang’s research has identified as core ingredients of circle time as practised in English schools and described in the practical books about how to do circle time. This is followed by examples of activities used in English primary and secondary schools; though the pictures show mostly primary schools, circle time works as well with adults! Though we get more knowledgeable as we get older, we often get less willing to say what we think.

Click here to look at the pages on circle time activities for students.

Click here to look at the pages for teachers on how to organise circle time.