Promoting British Values
School Information
Promoting British Values
In 2014, the Department for Education published guidance on promoting British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain.
All schools have a duty to ‘actively 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.
British values are outlined as:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
At Mossford Green Primary School we take our responsibility to prepare our pupils for their future within modern Britain seriously. British values underpin our daily work with the children, as part of our vision, and are shared with the children through assemblies, teaching in R.E. and P.S.H.C.E. and through opportunities within our creative curriculum.
We also ensure that children are aware of their British heritage through our annual heritage day around the time of St George’s Day. On this day children explore people and places important to Britons and learn what is special about what it is to be British.
Democracy: Our children live through the democratic process each year as they vote for the new school council. Children prepare their manifestos, canvas and take part in a secret ballot to elect council members. Children can make their opinions known throughout the year through the school opinion box. These are shared in assemblies and through the school council.
Children work together in pairs, groups and whole class situations, showing respect for each other, taking turns and listening to the opinions of others.
The Rule of Law: Our ‘keeping happy and safe’ rules, written by the children of the school, enable children to understand basic rules within society. Our children develop an understanding of why law is important and the importance of respecting ourselves and others within the framework of our school community and in the wider world.
Our community police officers support the work of the school in developing a respect for the rule of law within our society.
Children are able to articulate how and why we need to behave in school and demonstrate they understand and can abide by our ‘keeping happy and safe’ rules.
Individual Liberty: Central to our vision is developing self-respect and self-worth in relation to the individual so that children see that they are important in their own right. We exemplify, through our work with the children, the right to have our own thoughts and views and the right to express these safely.
Our children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, e.g. through e-safety teaching, but with respect to the rights and feelings of others.
Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs: Respect is deeply embedded in all that we do at the school. The pupils know and understand that respect is an expectation, shown to everyone whatever differences we may have. The core value of respect underpins our work every day both within and beyond the school community.
Within our richly diverse school community we promote a mutual understanding of and respect for, the faiths and beliefs of others. Through the locally agreed syllabus for R.E. our children learn about the major religions of the world and hear from those within the school community about how these faiths are born out in the lives of individuals. We involve our children in visits to places of worship of different faith groups to broaden their understanding.
Guest speakers further support the children’s experiences. Our children demonstrate a keen interest in learning about the lives of others and from this they develop a respect for different faiths and beliefs.