BRITISH Values
Promoting Fundamental British Values at Holy Trinity School
At Holy Trinity Primary School, we value the diversity of the backgrounds of all pupils, families and the wider school community and strongly believe in upholding British values through all aspects of our school provision.
The DofE states 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”.
Our school reflects British values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring and responsible adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world and the wider world.
What is meant by British values?
Learning about British values forms a key part of children’s spiritual, moral, cultural and social education. The five British values that the Government has identified for schools to focus on are:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
How do staff at Holy Trinity CE help our children prepare for adult life as citizens of Britain?
- Develop their self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Develop their understanding of right and wrong
- Encourage each child to take responsibility for their behaviour.
- Encourage involvement in the community and local area.
- Promote tolerance of and respect for all cultures and faiths.
- Encourage participation in the democratic process.
How does our school develop children’s understanding of British values?
We uphold the British value of Democracy by:
- facilitating a democratic process for electing pupil leadership roles, including school councillors, ambassadors and Eco-Warriors.
- facilitating a democratic process for electing pupil leadership roles which introduces the children to the electoral procedures which take place in Britain.
- teaching about the democratic process in Britain, at both a local and national level.
- taking turns in class, at dinner time and in after school clubs.
- as part of being in the school council, pupils have the opportunity to visit the Houses of Parliament and learn more about the democratic systems at a local and national level.
We uphold the British value of the Rule of Law by:
- implementing our school and class charters which have clear and agreed statements, and ensuring that the children know their own right and respect the rights of others.
- teaching the value and reasons behind rules/laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when rules/laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message.
- implementing our procedures for dealing with any behavioural or bullying issues and the very rare incidents of racial, homophobic and other forms of discrimination, which demonstrates to pupils that we take these issues very seriously, thus mirroring the attitudes of British society.
We uphold the British value of individual liberty by:
- teaching children to take responsibility for their own behaviour.
- teaching an understanding of the concept of freedom and choice through our acts of Collective Worship.
- teach children how to safely exercise their rights and personal freedoms
- support our pupils to become as independent as possible, including through our PSHE lessons and experiences such as residentials and enrichment programmes.
- exposing children to a range of experiences and future career opportunities, e.g. Careers Week and Growth Mindset workshops.
We uphold the British value of mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs:
- providing our extra-curricular provision, which offers equal opportunities for all children, boys and girls, and children with Special Educational Needs in sport and other areas of the curriculum.
- holding discussions in RE, English, History and other subjects, which allow children to develop respect for the opinions, values and beliefs of others.
- teaching our RE curriculum (LDBS), which instils the value of understanding, tolerance and respect for others, including those of other faiths.
We also support pupils to develop personal and social responsibility by:
- expecting children to demonstrate responsibility in many ways in school, e.g. pupil leadership roles through the ‘School Government’.
- expecting children to take responsibility in every class for a variety of roles which assist in the running of the classroom.
- encouraging children to have responsibility for their own possessions, behaviour and work, both at school and at home and to always do their personal best in all aspects of school life.
In all of our provision at Holy Trinity, both academic and otherwise, we want our school community to develop an understanding of British values and a strong desire to uphold them both now and as future British citizens.
Promoting British Values at Holy Trinity CE
