British Values
Promoting British Values
The Department for Education state 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.” The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014. At St Aidan’s Church of England Memorial Primary School these values are reinforced regularly through our day-to-day promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.
We demonstrate this in the following ways:
Democracy
Democracy is embedded at the school. Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and their voices heard. The children participate in events such as Parliament Week and regularly take part in debates related to topical issues. Pupils also have the opportunity to air their opinions and ideas through our School Councils who hold regular meetings with staff and other stakeholders. The elections of the School Councils' members are based solely on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action.
The Rule Of Law
The importance of laws whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced. St Aidan’s Church of England Memorial Primary School has whole school rules which are deeply embedded in our work every day. Each class also discusses and sets its own rules that are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. Our 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. Pupils also look at justice and how this can be different to a law.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely; examples of this can be clearly seen in our e-safety lessons which underpin our computing curriculum. Our PSHE resource '1 DECISION' allows children to make choices from a range of real-life scenarios, and to view the possible consequences from choices made. Whether it is through choice of challenge; of how they record; of participation in our numerous extracurricular activities; our pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of the guiding principles within our school, and features strongly in our Christian Vision of 'Growing Together with Love'. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have. We celebrate the diversity within our school, community and modern Britain. As a school, inclusivity is a priority and we aim to create an environment where everyone feels seen and heard for who they are. Equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded and a culture of our school. This is achieved through our curriculum subjects, awareness days, assemblies, displays, books and resources, workshops and visits to name a few. Furthermore, our core values of Love, Compassion, Trust and Togetherness underpin all our work and respect for one another - which is paramount.