Teaching British Values

Promoting British Values at Ashwell Primary School

The DfE have 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 and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

At Ashwell these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

• Democracy:
  Democracy is a core value within our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and pupil questionnaires. The elections of School Council representatives are based on pupil votes. All the pupils are involved in drawing up our whole school, e-safety and class 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, 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. Visits from authorities such as the PCSO, Justice of the Peace, the Parish Council, District Councillor Tony Hunter and our local MP, Oliver Heald, help reinforce this message. Year 6 pupils visit the Houses of Parliament and are taught how the rule of law is fundamental to our society.
• Individual Liberty:
  At Ashwell Primary School pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils 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 PSHE lessons. Ashwell pupils are given the freedom to make choices in a variety of ways. For example, they have choice of challenge in lessons, of participation in our range of extra-curricular clubs, choice of activities at Golden Time and what food option they would like for lunch every day.
• Mutual Respect:
  Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around key values such as ‘Respect’ and “Consideration”. The use of half termly SEAL topics and daily assemblies based on a weekly theme enable pupils to contribute to discussions and explore what this means and how it is shown. Mutual respect is modelled by the staff’s own conduct and is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy.
• Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:
  This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ 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 PSHE. We learn about different faiths and beliefs in our RE lessons and members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within the school e.g. visits to school by an Iman, a member of the Baha’i religion and the local minister of our village church to lead assemblies.