British Values Policy
- Introduction
Teaching British Values: How We Promote British Values at Wood End
The DfE have recently reinforced the 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 then Prime Minister David Cameron.
At Wood End, these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.
- Democracy
We are a Rights Respecting school. Each year the children decide upon their class rules, and the rights and responsibilities associated with these.
Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We have a school council and the pupils are all regularly consulted on their lessons, the environment and anything they want to change.
- The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that these involve and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police, Fire Service, ambulance staff etc. help to reinforce this message.
- 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 young pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education. 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 and PSHE lessons. Whether it is through choices of challenge, or how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
- Mutual Respect
We treat each other with respect and talk to each other in a respectful way: adult to adult, child to child, adult to child and child to adult. Assemblies and class discussions regularly cover ‘Respect’. When a child does something well, their achievement is celebrated through our ‘Wow’ board, our behaviour charts, in our newsletters, with certificates and awards.
- Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. We are language- and culturally-rich with a dozen home languages represented. We see this as a very positive feature of our school. We encourage all children to take part in the Nativity play. We use assemblies, PSHE and RE to learn about the similarities and differences between religions. We regularly celebrate a language that is spoken in school. The children learn some words and a song and perform this in an assembly for parents. These assemblies are well-attended by parents of all cultures and faiths.
- Anti-Extremism
As part of our Safeguarding ethos, we encourage pupils to respect the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We ensure that partisan political views are not promoted in the teaching of any subject in the school and where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, reasonably practical steps have been taken to offer a balanced presentation of opposing views to pupils.
