British Values

In support of the Department for Education (DofE) document: Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools, Departmental advice for maintained schools, November 2014.

At Ravenshead Church of England Primary School, we value the diversity of the backgrounds of all pupils, families and the wider school community and strongly believe in upholding British values through all aspects of our school provision.

The DfE states that there is a need:

“To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”.

Our school reflects British values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world and the wider world.

What is meant by British values?

Learning about British values forms a key part of children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social education. The five British values that the Government has identified for schools to focus on are:

• Democracy.
• The rule of law.
• Individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
• Developing personal and social responsibility.
• Respect for British Institutions.

How should we help our children prepare for adult life as citizens of Britain?

• Develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
• Develop their understanding of right and wrong, and their respect for the law.
• Encourage them to take responsibility for their behaviour.
• Encourage involvement in the community and wider society.
• Encourage respect for the public services and institutions of Britain.
• Promote tolerance of and respect for all cultures and faiths.
• Encourage participation in the democratic process.

How does our school develop children’s understanding of British values?

We uphold the British value of Democracy by:

• Facilitating a democratic process for electing school councillors and the running of the council. Each week, every child gets to vote on our ‘Class Council Question’ and we have a team of children who form the ‘Communication’ and ‘Action’ team who ensure the outcome of the vote is acted upon.

                         Evidence: Smart School Council.

• Teaching about the democratic process in Britain, at both a local and national level. We teach about communities and pressure groups, how children can participate in these and make changes to life at all levels from local to global.

                        Evidence: ‘Athens V Sparta’ theme – Y3.

• Taking turns in class, at dinner time and in after school clubs.

                      Evidence: Behaviour Learning Walks.

We uphold the British value of the Rule of Law by:

• Teaching children an understanding of human rights through our curriculum.

                       Evidence: ‘I have a Dream’ theme – Y6.

• Teaching children to learn about the process of law-making and the part that citizens can play in that process through our curriculum.

                      Evidence: ‘Law and Order’ theme – Y4.

• Implementing our procedures and protocols for dealing with any behavioural or bullying issues and the very rare incidents of racial, homophobic and other forms of discrimination, which demonstrates to pupils that we take these issues very seriously, mirroring the attitudes of British society.

                       Evidence: Anti-Bullying and Behaviour Policies.

We uphold the British value of individual liberty and work to identify and combat discrimination by:

• Teaching an understanding of the concept of freedom and choice through our curriculum.

                      Evidence: ‘The Wordsmith’ theme – Y2, Learning about the story of Ignatius Sancho; ‘Cry Freedom’                          theme – Y4; ‘I have a Dream’ theme – Y6

• Teaching our RE curriculum, which inculcates values of understanding, tolerance and respect for others, including those of other faiths.

                     Evidence: The Nottinghamshire Syllabus for the teaching of RE: Religious Education for all.

• Providing our extra-curricular provision, which offers equal opportunities for all children, boys and girls, and children with Special Educational Needs in sport and other areas.

                    Evidence: Extra Curricular overview.

• Holding discussions in RE, English and other subjects, which allow children to develop respect for the opinions, values and beliefs of others.

                    Evidence: Learning Walks.

We uphold the British value of developing personal and social responsibility by:

• Expecting children to take responsibility in every class for a variety of roles which assist in the running of the classroom.

                    Evidence: Learning Walks.

• Encouraging children to have responsibility for their own possessions, behaviour and work, both at school and at home and to always do their personal best in all aspects of school life.

                   Evidence: Learning Walks

• ‘Keeping Safe’ week in school where the children are taught about protective behaviours and ‘consent’. All content is shared with parents on the school website: https://www.ravensheadcofeprimary.co.uk/protective-behaviours/

                   Evidence: Planning overviews/ Learning Walks.

We uphold the British value of respect for British Institutions by:

• Celebrating many British festivals and special events, e.g. Remembrance Day, November 5th, Christmas, Easter, World Book Day, Children in Need, Red-nose day etc.

                  Evidence: Diary Dates on the website/ newsletter

• Regularly inviting representatives from various groups, such as Police, charities and the local church to visit our school and talk to the children in both lessons and Collective Worship.

                 Evidence: Revd. Kate delivers a weekly Collective Worship; Diary Dates on the website/ newsletter.

In all our provision, both academic and otherwise, we endeavour for our school community to develop an understanding of British values and a strong desire to uphold them both now and as future British citizens.