British Values
Schools are required to provide for the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development of their pupils. As part of this requirement, we are expected to actively promote Fundamental British Values.
The government defines these as:
- Democracy
- The Rule of Law
- Individual Liberty
- Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
What does this mean for my child? Our efforts to promote Fundamental British Values are designed to prepare our pupils for life in modern Britain. Ultimately, we aim to help pupils understand:
- The importance of combatting discrimination
- How we can influence decision-making by taking part in the democratic processes like voting and petitioning
- Our freedom under British law to choose different faiths and beliefs
- That the law is there to keep us safe
Pupils engage with the values through the curriculum and our assembly and PHSE themes in ways that are suitable for their age and context.
In some subjects there are opportunities for pupils to think about traditions from different cultures and religions.
Extra-curricular learning such as PE/Games teach pupils about the importance of rules.
Pupil votes, questionnaires and councils are other ways that pupils can have their voices heard and learn about democracy.
Our duty to actively promote Fundamental British Values means that we always try to present political views to pupils in a balanced way. We are also responsible for challenging prejudiced or extreme opinions and behaviour.
As part of this responsibility, we have put measures in place to protect pupils from exposure to extremist views.
Please contact the school if you would like further information on this.
