Promoting British Values at Sidmouth Primary School

Sidmouth Primary School is committed to serving its local community. We recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith nature of the United Kingdom and understand the crucial role our school plays in promoting these values.

We encourage admissions from all those entitled to education under British law regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status. We are a school for all.

This statement outlines the key British values we actively promote.

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 Sidmouth Primary School these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.

These values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE), and Religious and World Studies (RW). We also teach British Values through planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum.

The school takes opportunities to actively promote British Values through our assemblies and whole school initiatives such as electing and running a successful School Council. We also actively promote the British Values through ensuring our curriculum planning and delivery includes real opportunities for exploring these values. Actively promoting British Values also means challenging pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views.

At Sidmouth Primary School we uphold and teach pupils about the British Values which are defined as:

• Democracy

• Rule of Law

• Individual Liberty

• Mutual Respect

• Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

 

Democracy

Democracy is a core value at our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our Junior Leadership Team, class discussions and Pupil Questionnaires. The elections of members of the Junior Leadership Team  are based on pupil votes.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws and rules, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout our school days. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws and rules, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws/rules are broken. Visits from authorities such as the police, PCSOs and fire service are integral to our curriculum and help 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 our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment, a planned curriculum and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely. This includes our e-safety teaching and PSHE lessons. Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, e.g. signing up for extra-curricular clubs, choose the level of challenge in some lessons and are becoming increasingly more involved in child-led learning. The aims, ethos and vision statement are embodied in all that we do in our school.

Mutual Respect

Respect is one of the core values of our school and can be seen as part of the ethos of our school. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have. The core value of respect at Sidmouth Primary School underpins our work every day both in and out of the classroom. Children and adults alike, including visitors are challenged if they are disrespectful in any way. We regularly welcome a variety of charities and organisations to support and learn from the work that they do.

Tolerance of Those with 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 in our school and local community. Assemblies, visitors leading workshops and discussions involving prejudices and prejudiced-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RW and PSHE through a broad and balanced curriculum covering a range of faiths, cultures and religions. We use opportunities such as the Olympics and World Cup to study and learn about life and culture in countries who participate. We employ teachers, teaching assistants and support staff who have English as an Additional Language and bring a rich and varied cultural experience to our school.