Promoting British Values at Elm C of E Primary School

Elm C of E Primary School is committed to serving its community and surrounding areas. 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 Elm C of E 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 Education (RE). 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, Collective Worship and whole school systems and structures 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 Elm C of E 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 an important value at our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council, class discussions and Pupil Questionnaires. The elections of members of the School Council are based on pupil votes. The children have an agreed a set of values which we at Elm C of E Primary School actively work and learn by. Our behaviour system is displayed in each class classroom and is actively used to influence, reward and acknowledge others’ behaviour.

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 regular school days. Our ‘Time Out’ system for behaviour is aligned to an agreed set of rules, standards and expectations. 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 regular parts of our calendar 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 Elm C of E 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. Values are highly visible around the school and can be seen in pupil work, posters, rewards and as part of our behaviour. We regularly welcome a variety of charities and organisations to support and learn from the work that they do. A British Values theme week is planned for later in the Spring Term allowing all pupils from across the whole school to participate in a variety of activities.

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 local community. Assemblies, visitors leading workshops and discussions involving prejudices and prejudiced-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE through a broad and balanced curriculum covering a range of faiths, cultures and religions.