British Values
The Department for Education has recently 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."
The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these
values have been reiterated in 2014. At St Mary’s Church of England Primary School we actively
promote values, virtues and ethics that shape our pupils' character and moral perspective.
Through our Mission Statement, RE, PSHE, spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC)
development, and promoting The Common Good, we are able to make real links between the
values of our pupils and the lives of others in their community, country and the world in general.
Through our Curriculum we teach about democracy, civic responsibility, rules and laws, the
monarchy, equality, values and virtues, environmental awareness and understanding of other
faiths.
Being part of Britain
As a school we value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody. Alongside this, we value
and celebrate being part of Britain. In general terms, this means that we celebrate traditions, such
as customs in the course of the year and we value and celebrate national events.
Across PPAT the history curriculum reflects the story of these islands. It tells the story of how
Britain developed and what its place in the world is. From the Celts and Anglo-Saxons through to
the industrial revolution pupils learn about significant events and individuals in British history
including Boudicca, King Alfred, Florence Nightingale, Brunel and Shaftesbury. Democracy is
understood from the time of the Ancient Greeks with all of this underpinned by a developing sense
of chronology to know how the pieces of the jigsaw fit together that tells the story of how our nation
developed.
At St Mary’s C of E Primary School, we actively promote British values in the following
ways:
Democracy
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Pupils reflect upon their rights and responsibilities
Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public
institutions and services
Teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process
Pupils vote in elections for School Council, Prefects and Librarians. They write speeches to
persuade the voters
Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are
listened to in school.
Pupils support and vote on charities to fundraise for good causes such as the homeless
shelter.
Pupils are encouraged to raise money to support local and national charities, (children in
need, poppy appeal, harvest festival and Syrian refugees).
Hold class debates so pupils learn how to argue and defend points of view
Help pupils to express their views
Enable pupils to have their voices heard through our School Council and pupil discussions
Teach pupils how public services operate and how they are held to account
Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged
Encouragement of pupils as leaders throughout the school: Prefects, Lunchtime Monitors
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Challenging pupils to become indepenent and take reponsibility
Rule of law
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Behaviour at At St Mary’s Church of England Primary School is consistently good and is
seen as an absolute priority by the school community
Ensure school rules and expectations are clear and fair
Pupils recognise they are ambassadors for the school when representing the school
outside e.g. educational visits
Help pupils to distinguish right from wrong
Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made
Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals
Develop restorative justice approaches to resolve conflicts
Safety visits e.g. road safety, fire safety, police, online safety
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the
country, are consistently reinforced on a daily basis, 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.
Individual Liberty
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St Mary’s Church of England Primary School is a safe place for children and nurtures an
atmosphere in which pupils can make choices about school life in a supportive environment
Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights
Model freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of
vulnerable pupils and promoting
critical analysis of evidence
Challenge stereotypes
Implement a strong anti-bullying culture
Choosing of learning challenges/activities
Taking part in enrichment clubs
Through marking and feedback pupils know their successes and what the next steps are for
learning
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 advise how to exercise these safely, for example,
through our Online Safety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
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Promote respect for individual differences
Celebration assembly
Help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures
and ways of life
Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
Organise visits to places of worship
Children of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to
enhance learning within classes and the school
Develop links with other faith communities
Develop critical personal thinking skills
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Discuss differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, and
gender and differences of family situations, such as young carers
For pupils to show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the
lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
we encourage pupils to have jobs and share responsibilities in class, there is an
expectation for them to look after the school, they also have responsibilities to uphold
their jobs in school. Pupils are inspired to apply for those responsible roles in school
which help to build a sense of community.
Younger children are encouraged to complete a number of tasks such as helping at home,
in community, etc and at the end are awarded for being a good citizen. (Good Citizenship
award)
At St Mary’s Church of England Primary School we actively challenge pupils, staff or parents
expressing opinions contrary to the values we hold as a school, including ‘extremist’ views.
Vision
At St Mary’s Church of England Primary School our Mission Statement, school ethos and
behaviour policy revolve around core values such as respect, and pupils have been part of
discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. Work and posters
around the school promote respect and this is reinforced through our classroom and learning rules
as well as our behaviour policy.
We value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of
events and lessons to celebrate these and these are built in to our whole school curriculum map.
We have found this approach to be enriching for all parties as it teaches tolerance and respect for
the differences in our community and the wider world. Underpinning all of this there are a range of
curriculum topics which have strong links to British values.
Over the past few years as a whole school, we have celebrated topics such as:
 The Olympics – where children learned about the history of Olympians nationally and
locally
 The Diamond Jubilee anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II where all year groups
were given the opportunity to develop their understanding of the British Monarchy through
the school’s creative curriculum.
 The Queen becoming the longest reigning monarch in September 2015
 Voted in our own General Election in May 2015
 The First World War and the Second World War.
In each year group in Upper Key Stage Two learn about the Second World War and
experience an 'Evacuee' day in July. We mark Remembrance Day.
 On a more general level the school undertakes assemblies which uphold traditional values
of empathy, respect and tolerance. These are also taught within formal RE lessons and on
an informal nature throughout the school days. The curriculum also focuses on a variety of
faiths which are represented in the community where our pupils learn about Light as a
Symbol and Umma (community) 5 Pillars of Islam.