British Values
Promoting British Values Statement
The Department for Education has 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, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.” At Tyndale Primary School these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.
Democracy:
Democracy is promoted within our school. Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and child questionnaires. The elections of School Council representatives and head boy and girl are based solely on child votes. Each teacher has different ways in which the children make their voices heard in their classroom e.g. through Class Family Time, discussions and decisions over classroom rules.
The Rule of Law:
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days and through school assemblies. The children are taught right from wrong. Children 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. Visits from authorities such as the Police; Fire Service; Road Safety Officers are parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message. There is a clear Code of Conduct through our Magnificent Seven for all children which is on display in every area of the school.
Individual Liberty:
Within school, children 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 children to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and Learning for Life (PSHE) lessons. Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record, or participation in our numerous extracurricular clubs and opportunities, children are given the freedom to make choices. All classes work towards incentives such as tokens, gold coins and ‘End of Term Reward’ where their choices affect outcomes for themselves personally. We also try to give ownership of learning to the children and promote a personal investigative approach. At break and lunch times the children are allowed to use the outside spaces according to their personal choices. Our shared values in the school promote both staff and children as good role models, and we take opportunities to challenge stereotypes whenever the opportunity arises. Opportunities are also taken to explore that with individual liberty and freedom comes responsibilities to the local community and the wider world.
Mutual Respect:
Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around Magnificent Seven values such as ‘Respectful’, and children have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. Posters around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our rewards and consequences. We have developed a ‘Behaviour’ Policy which supports teachers and adults in school to treat every child fairly. Our Equality and Inclusion policy reflects this core value and professional development explores how to engender a respectful ethos. We support events such as Anti Bullying Week’. We promote respect through Class Family Time and Learning for Life and provide opportunities for children to learn to respect others through our curriculum e.g. visits from people from other cultures and traditions. We support charities where they promote respect and tolerance e.g. Children in Need.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:
This is achieved through enhancing children’s understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and Learning for Life.
British Values and Learning for Life (PSHE)
British Values are taught within every class. It is taught as Learning for Life following the Jigsaw Approach. The weekly celebration is the same for each year group – these are designed to draw out a key theme from each week and reinforce its application; in turn, this ensures the Jigsaw learning is translated into behaviour and attitudes and is not confined to the lesson slot on the timetable. This theme is introduced every first Tuesday of the half-term.