British Values
As directed under the September 2014 guidance, our school actively promotes the key British Values, defined by the government as the following:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
At Button Lane Primary School, we teach a broad and balanced curriculum that teaches elements of democracy, civic responsibility, rules and laws, the monarchy, equality, values and virtues, environmental awareness and understanding and tolerance of other faiths. Our collective worship reinforces these values, as does our broad curriculum. The British values are taught through PSHE, SMSC and RE, and are reinforced through subjects such as History and Geography.
Actively promoting British Values also refers to challenging pupils, staff or parents who may express opinions contrary to fundamental British Values. At Button Lane Primary, we work hard to ensure that values of tolerance and respect permeate all areas of school life to create a climate within which pupils feel safe and secure, allowing them to reach their full potential.
We believe our school to be at the centre of our local community; our vision and values are embodied in celebrations and events such as the School Fayre, our 60th anniversary celebrations, our charitable work and participation in various sporting, academic and artistic endeavours.
The following are a selection of activities that are evidence of our commitment to British values.
Democracy
- We encourage children to have a say in what happens in our school and in their local area. We have a Pupil Leadership Team, Pupil Parliament, Global Council and Eco Council, which has representatives from each class who meet regularly to discuss ways to make improvements and changes within our school.
- We are a Rights Respecting School and have achieved the Silver accredited award
- Each year the children in each year group decide upon their class charter and all the children contribute to devising this.
- Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our councils and pupil questionnaires.
- Children in year 6 apply to for different jobs on the pupil leadership team. They complete an interview process with the senior leadership team and have a variety of responsibilities to complete throughout their role.
- Democracy is also promoted through PSHE lessons and assemblies where children are taught to respect their rights and the rights of others.
- We welcome a range of external visitors and take part in a range of trips throughout the year including visits from local councillors, mayor/mayoress, magistrates court.
Links to the school values: Empower, Equality, Community
Links to the PSHE curriculum: Being Me in My World, Celebrating Difference
The impact democracy has on our children:
Children at Button Lane learn how to respect the outcome of a democratic process and learn how to manage feelings of disappointment if not chosen or elected. They learn to help make decisions and share ideas as individuals and in groups, confident that their pupil voice will have a respectful and active audience. They understand their responsibilities to the school and the wider community.
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.
- Each year, we begin each school year by discussing class and school rules and the reasons for having them
- Class Charters are devised with each class
- Our school rules 'Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe' are threaded through all aspects of school life.
- Children at Button Lane know what is expected of them, why rules are so important, and what the consequences are if they do not follow them. They learn about the importance of different rules whether they be laws of the classroom, home, local or global societies.
- Positive reward systems are in place including celebration assemblies such as proud assembly.
- Our PSHE curriculum and assemblies teach children about trust, respect and honesty. We encourage children to develop a strong sense of morality; knowing right from wrong and doing the right thing even when it’s difficult.
- We ensure children understand laws are made in parliament and explore how these laws are made.
- 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 Police; Fire Service etc. are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.
- Internet Safety week carries an annual theme where the rules and safety procedures taught within the IT curriculum are reinforced and consolidated.
Links to the school values: Equality, Resilience, Pride
Links to the PSHE curriculum: Being me in my World, Healthy me, Relationships
The impact The Rule of Law has on our children:
Children at Button Lane show respect for the rules and the law. They understand their responsibilities and the consequence of their behaviour. They feel safe in a secure and respectful environment. Pupil Leaders in the school set a good example for younger children to follow.
Individual Liberty
- Within school, the children 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 safety, through of 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 E-Safety and PSHE lessons.
- Whether it is through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
- We teach children to value and appreciate their individual liberty within the UK and understand this is not true for all other countries across the world.
- We encourage children to make choices at different points in the school day within a safe and supportive environment.
- Allowing children to understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms safely e.g. during annual whole school Safety, on line safety and anti-bullying weeks, RE lessons and PSHE lessons.
- We teach children to respect the rights of others and things through the values of empathy and tolerance, as well as understanding and knowledge.
- The theme of 'individual liberty' is embedded into our broad and balanced curriculum. This is covered explicitly in history by Y5 where children learn about workers rights through their topic on the Industrial Revolution; and in Y6 pupils study WW2 and learn about women's rights. We also celebrate theme days such as 'International Women's Day'
- In the Autumn Term, during Black History Month, children learn about the past and the importance of freedom, the right to equality and free choice.
Each class learnt about a different historic figure who have promoted this. For example, Ruby Bridges in Year 2.
Links to the school mission: Thrive, Resilience, Self Belief, Pride, Equality, Community
Links to the PSHE curriculum: Being Me in My World, Relationships
The impact Individual Liberty has on our children:
Children at Button Lane feel a sense of belonging and feel their opinions are valued. They develop strategies to manage different situations in which they need to make choices. They are aware of how to stay safe in different situations. They enjoy and value the freedoms that they have, of speech, of thought and of being themselves while remaining respectful of others' differences.
Mutual Respect
- Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around values such as respect, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown.
- Posters around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our positive relationships and behaviour policy.
- We actively promote respect for our environment and we have a team which meets regularly in order to discuss ways of improving our local environment and tackle wider global issues.
- Being ‘Responsible citizens’ is part of our school values and mission statement. Children learn to be respectful and polite to others.
- We have high expectations of how children behave which is reflected in our behaviour policy.
- Children learn that their behaviour has an impact on their rights and those of others.
- We promote opportunities for children to work together with others in a class, team, group or older buddy.
- We warmly welcome all visitors and newly arrived children and their families.
- All members of the school community treat each other with respect.
Links to the school values: Equality, Community, Empower
Links to the PSHE curriculum: Being me in my world, Celebrating Difference, Dreams and Goals, Relationships.
The impact Mutual Respect has on our children:
Children at Button Lane are respectful towards others. They respect and value theirs and other’s achievements and opinions. People feel valued and welcomed at our school.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
- This is achieved through enhancing of children’s’ 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 are followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE.
- We use whole school assemblies as a chance to introduce the children to a range of different celebrations and religious festivals e.g. Chinese New Year, Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Eid etc.
- Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. We welcome visitors from different cultures and faiths to share their knowledge and experience with us in class, assemblies and special events.
- At Button Lane we take part in annual Poppy Day commemorations where children have made or can purchase poppies and a minute’s silence is held in special assemblies for the school.
- On a more general level, the school undertakes daily assemblies/circle times which uphold traditional values of empathy, respect and tolerance. These are also taught within PSHE and RE lessons and on an informal nature throughout the school days.
- Visits to different places of worship that are important to different faiths.
- Visitors from other faiths in classes and assemblies.
- Our teaching of Religious Education where children learn about different religions, their beliefs, places of worship and festivals.
- Children learn about different societies and cultures through Geography and History topics.
- Assemblies mark and celebrate significant religious festivals and current affairs.
- We organise international days and other special days where children learn about other cultures.
Links to the school values: Resilience, Equality, Community, Pride
Links to the PSHE curriculum: Celebrating Difference, Relationships.
The impact Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs has on our children:
Children are respectful to those who have different beliefs or lives to them. Children learn to discuss issues from different viewpoints and show empathy to others e.g. In Y5, children are invited to think about how the aspirations of young people from countries other their own compare to their own dreams and goals. Children at Button Lane appreciate the differences in other children’s cultures and can talk about it. They understand when behaviour towards others is not acceptable, including any type of discrimination.
For full information of how the British Values are threaded through our PSHE curriculum please view the document below: