Promoting British Values
The DfE have recently reinforced the need for school communities “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.”
At All Saints we aim to actively promote British values to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.
Democracy
Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We have a school council which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class council meetings. The council members for each year group are voted in by their class.
The school groups children into houses and, each year, those children wanting to be House Captains must run a ‘campaign' before the children elect their chosen leaders.
The school uses democracy in other areas of school life such as when making decisions on class activities, appointing digital leaders and settling disagreements.
The Rule of Law- what do we do?
The importance of Laws, whether they be 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 this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Children in Y6 have the opportunity to become Junior PCSOs and work alongside the PCSOs on aspects such as drink driving, dog fouling, parking issues and more. We help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service also help reinforce this message. We explore laws within our PSHE lessons and what to do if peer pressure is trying to persuade children to break laws.
Individual Liberty- what do we do?
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 provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHEE lessons. We encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights.Our Learning Mentor works alongside the teaching team and with parents to support children in making confident and safe choices. This includes our Smiles group, nuture groups, anger management and more.
In their learning, whether it be through choice of learning challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect -what do we do?
As a Church of England School, mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. explore positive role models of those who reflect the protected characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act and always challenge prejudicial and discriminatory behaviour.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs- what do we do?
All Saints is situated in an area which is not greatly culturally diverse, therefore we place a great emphasis on promoting diversity with the children. Opportunities are regularly planned to address this issue in collective worship either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Tolerance is also reflected in our Values and Golden Threads. Pupils learn through curriculum planning and collective worship about major religious festivals such as Easter, Christmas, Diwali, Passover and Eid and about a range of religious customs and beliefs.
Children are taught to celebrate differences and to cherish each other as individuals regardless of race, culture or background.
At All Saints we will actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views. In addition to staff training on preventing extremism, pupils in Y5 and Y6 attend workshops to develop their understanding of what extremism is and the steps they can take to prevent and tackle extremist views.