Burghclere Primary School
Learning, growing and succeeding together
Burghclere Primary School
Learning, growing and succeeding together
British Values
Promoting British Values
The Education Act (2002) requires schools, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, to promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school.
In 2011, the Government defined British Values as democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
Burghclere Primary School promotes these values through our mission statement, our values, our curriculum and our enrichment activities.
Value – Democracy
UN CRC Article 12: Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account.
Links to school values: Inquisitiveness, Supportiveness, Creativity, Respect
How We Promote It:
We have an enthusiastic and effective School Council. Representatives are elected through a democratic process that is used as an opportunity to promote and teach about the electoral process and democracy.
We have an active Green Group in the school with representatives from each year group. This gives our children the opportunity to democratically make decisions on the school’s “green” agenda.
We encourage pupils to volunteer in school. This includes taking on roles such as Play Leaders, Anti-Bullying Ambassadors, Head Boy and Head Girl, House Captains, Librarians and Music Maestros.
Democracy is promoted through PSHE lessons and assemblies.
An annual questionnaire is completed by all children to give feedback on their school and to suggest any areas that could be improved.
Value – The Rule of Law
UN CRC Article 19: Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for and protect them from violence, abuse and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them.
Links to school values: Respect
How We Promote It:
Through our school assemblies, curriculum, PSHE and specific events such as Anti-Bullying week, our children are taught the importance of good behaviour, how to earn trust and respect and are supported to develop a strong sense of right and wrong. They are encouraged to have the strength of character to do the right thing even when it is difficult.
We set high expectations about pupil conduct and this is set out in our Behaviour Policy.
The local police officer and fire service visit the school to talk to the children about their role in society.
Value – Individual Liberty
UN CRC Article 31: All children have a right to relax and play and to join in a wide range of activities.
UN CRC Article 15: Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and organisations as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights.
Links to school values: Aspiration, Supportiveness, Reflection, Respect
How We Promote It:
Our values, integrated curriculum and PSHE programme teach our children about personal responsibility, choices, ambition and aspiration. They are encouraged to take opportunities to follow their interests through the varied activities available at school e.g. band, football, netball, art, choir, recorders, athletics, knitting, rugby, running.
Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online safety. This is done through our PSHE curriculum, assemblies and computing curriculum.
Value – Mutual Respect
UN CRC Article 2: The Convention applies to everyone whatever their race, religion, abilities, whatever they think or say and whatever type of family they come from.
UN CRC Article 30: Children have a right to learn and use the language and customs of their families, whether these are shared by the majority of people in the country or not.
Links to school values: Respect, Supportiveness
How we promote it:
We set high expectations about pupil conduct and this is reflected in our Behaviour Policy and Single Equality Policy.
Through our ethos and learning values, the curriculum, assemblies (e.g. Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement) and PSHE, children are taught to respect each other, be collaborative and supportive. They are taught to look for similarities whilst being aware of differences.
The profile of our annual Governor’s Award reinforces our school values and is presented at the end of the academic year to the child who has best exemplified those behaviours and attributes.
Our School Values certificates and termly champions recognise and celebrate the pupils throughout the school who are proactively demonstrating our values.
Value – Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
UN CRC Article 14: Children have the right to think and believe what they want and to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights. Parents should guide their children on these matters.
Links to school values: Respect, Inquisitiveness
How we promote it:
Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs is promoted through our RE curriculum. Children learn about a range of religions, their beliefs, places of worship and festivals. This is supported by trips to places of worship (Islamic Mosques, Christian Churches) and the children’s work from these topics is displayed in the classrooms and around the school.
Learning in classrooms is supported by one-off events such as the International Day of Languages which give the children additional information on the languages, cultures, religions and customs of countries around the world.
Our link with a Ugandan school and visits from Dodie, who organises link activities, give our children a rare insight into the culture and customs of their Ugandan counterparts.
Our Behaviour Policy reflects the high expectations we set regarding pupil conduct.