Promoting Fundamental British Values

at

St John's C of E Primary School & Nursery

The advice for all state-maintained schools

The main teaching principles for students learning about British values

• Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied.
• Enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law system.
• Enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
• Encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely.
• Enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services.
• Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation for and respect for their own and other cultures.
• Encourage respect for other people.

How do we specifically promote ‘British Values’ at our school?

These values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE), and Religious Education (RE). We also teach and actively promote British Values by planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum which includes opportunities for the further exploration of these issues.

The school takes opportunities to actively promote British Values through daily collective worship and whole school systems and structures. 

The list below describes the understanding expected of pupils as a result of schools promoting fundamental British values:

• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety
• An understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as courts maintain independence
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination

What are the fundamental British Values?

There are five British values.

Democracy

The Rule of Law

Tolerance

Respect

Individual Liberty

• We have an elected School Council. This is used as an opportunity to promote and teach about democracy and the electoral process
• We teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process – e.g. in our School Council work. The elections of members of the School Council Team are based on pupil votes.
• Values for Life Collective Worship around Christian Values and each half term we have a new focus, e.g. generosity and honesty.
• Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services – by discussing these whenever appropriate in curriculum work.
• Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school.
• Help pupils to express their views e.g. through English lessons and opportunities to present work and opinions.
• Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged e.g. through our interactions with pupils and the school’s behaviour system and discussing scenarios in assemblies and class PHSE work.

We encourage volunteerism by raising money for local and national charities - courageous advocacy.

The importance of laws and rules, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days.

• We have high expectations about pupil conduct and this is reflected in our Behaviour Policy. There are rewards for exhibiting good and caring behaviour and consistent demonstration of our values is recognised.
• Through our school assemblies, circle time and PSHCE children are taught how to earn trust and respect and are supported to develop a strong sense of morality; knowing right from wrong and doing the right thing even when it’s difficult.
• Our system for behaviour is aligned to an agreed code and if children are given verbal warnings this is always set against the agreed school behaviour code. Children are asked to identify which aspect of the code they have broken to ensure that this connection is made and understood.
• Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
• Ensure school rules and expectations are clear and fair e.g. by discussing these with pupils and establishing classroom rules with the pupils themselves.To encourage and promote good behaviour, attitude and work, we have devised a reward system, which is followed consistently throughout the school. We are committed to praising children’s efforts. We endeavour to praise the children informally, individually, during group work, in front of the whole class and the whole school. Children are rewarded not only for achievement in curriculum areas, but also for behaviour. Rewards are given in the form of credits and certificates.
• Children’s achievements are also recognised during the end of week whole school celebration collective worship.
• The local police officer / PCSO / Fire Service visits the school to talk to the children and explain about their role in society.
• Help pupils to distinguish right from wrong e.g. during everyday interactions and discussions of stories, fables and other literary materials.
• Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made e.g. by showing how rules help everyone to interact in an orderly and fair manner and protect the vulnerable in society.
• Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individual.
• Teach pupils aspects of both civil and criminal law and discuss how this might differ from some religious laws.
• Develop approaches focused on fairness and justice to resolve conflicts e.g. as part of sanctions in our approach to behaviour.

Collective Worship is based on ‘Christian Values for Life’, which are central to how we expect everyone to go about their life at our school. Our SIAMS inspection confirms this is an outstanding aspect of life.

Tolerance and understanding of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs by:

• enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society
• giving them opportunities to experience such diversity.
• Collective Worship and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed
• We use many opportunities through curriculum projects to find out about cultures and lives in other parts of the world to allow us to compare and contrast.
• We support a slum school in Kolkata, India and staff have travelled to work with the children andteachers in Kolkata in 2019 and 2020. Our children prepare resources and raise funds to help our friends on Kolkata.
• We invite guest speakers and run workshops to give the children a real experience of a different belief system.
• Promote respect for individual differences in all areas of learning and interaction.
• Help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life e.g. through our Religious Education work and SMSC/PHSE.
• Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour e.g. through discussion and use of illustrative materials as well as our approach to behaviour in school.
• Organise visits to places of worship e.g. visits to the local churches and other diverse places of worship as appropriate to the curriculum.
• Develop critical personal thinking skills throughout our curricular work.
• Discuss differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations, such as looked-after children or young carers e.g. through our SMSC/PHSE and broader curricular work and through visitors to school sharing their experiences.
• Learn about different faiths through RE

The word 'respect' comes from two Latin words: 're' meaning 'back' and 'specere', meaning 'to look'. So the meaning of our modern word seems to have developed from an idea of looking back at, regarding, or considering someone or something. Today, the word means 'to value someone highly for what they say or do' or 'to treat people politely and thoughtfully, to show we value them.

Mutual respect is an attitude that recognises and respects the individual liberty of others – even if their choices, lifestyle, and beliefs are ones you don’t share.

As well as promoting these values to our children, the conduct of all school staff should reflect them.

Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy is based around core Christian values such as ‘respect’ and ‘responsibility’ and these values determine how we live as a community.

Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices at our school, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we provide boundaries for our children to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and planned curriculum.

• Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our e-Safety teaching.
• Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, e.g. signing up for extracurricular clubs.
• Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence e.g. through all areas of teaching and learning in school.
• Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights.
• Challenge stereotypes e.g. through SMSC/PHSE work and assemblies.
• Implement a strong anti-bullying culture – as enshrined in our policies for Anti-Bullying and Behaviour.