Promoting British Values – Muskham Primary School

The DfE has 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.”

The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated in 2014.

The Department for Education defines British Values as follows:

• Respect for democracy and support or participation in the democratic process

• Respect for the basis on which the law is made and applies in England

• Support for equality of opportunity for all

• Support and respect for the liberties of all within the law

• Respect for and tolerance of different faiths and religious and other beliefs

Both our School Motto of ‘Wisdom and Caring’ and our Curriculum tag line ‘A Village School with a World View’ reinforce these values.

Our school reflects British values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world. We encourage our children to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world. Wherever possible, we take a global approach to learning by introducing themes from the perspective of other people in other countries.

As a school, we celebrate being part of Britain. In general terms, this means that we celebrate traditions and customs in the course of the year; for example, Harvest Festival during the autumn term.  We also value and celebrate national events, a recent example being King Charles III’s coronation. As part of our curriculum we study key moments in British history such as the Great Fire of London.

The fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are further reinforced and demonstrated in the following ways:

Democracy

Pupils have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at Muskham Primary School.

• At the beginning of each school year the children in each class collaboratively create the class rules they want to see upheld throughout the year.

• Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard.

• We encourage pupils to take ownership of not only their school but also of their own learning and progress.

• The principle of Democracy is explored in the curriculum as well as during assemblies

• ‘Pupil Voice’ is used in all curriculum subjects to gather the views of children.

• Our ‘Enablers’ also encourage children to give their viewpoint; in particular ‘Questioning’ and ‘Creativity’ allow children to utilise this British Value.

The rule of law

The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, is consistently reinforced throughout the regular school day and also through planned activities and assemblies. Clear, consistent consequences and reward systems are in place to promote positive behaviour. Class rules are created at the start of each academic year; they are displayed in class and referred to regularly. They ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and orderly environment.

Within class lessons and assemblies, pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws that govern and protect us, the responsibilities involved and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Fire and Police services, and the Canal and Rivers Trust, help reinforce this message.

In PE, the importance of rules and fair play is highlighted and enables the pupils to understand the need for rules beyond the immediate school context, as well as the importance of exercise as a healthy activity.

Our curriculum has been carefully designed so that pupils develop the skills which enable them to understand the way rules and laws were developed at specific times in history and how they reflected the values of the period. Our RE units of work allow pupils to learn about the fundamental rules and beliefs of all the major religions and focus on common areas and differences within them.

Individual Liberty

Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment, we provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely for example:

• choices about how to approach a task

• choices around the participation in extra-curricular activities Children have key roles and responsibilities in school; this includes Take 5 Mental Health Ambassadors and the School Council.

Pupils are given the tools to exercise their rights and make informed decisions through E-safety, DART, Sex education and RSHE lessons. They are supported to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence and encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour.

Mutual Respect

All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect and this is reflected in the ’Caring’ aspect of our school motto, as well as our Enabler ‘Empathy’.

Mutual respect is embedded within all that we do as a school. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have, and to everything, however big or small. This value is woven into our assemblies as well as through the everyday curriculum planning.

In class, pupils often take part in collaborative work where they have to work closely with their peers; a key part of this is respecting the opinions of others. This is also important in lessons involving debating. The children are taught they need to respect everyone’s viewpoint on an issue even though it may differ from their own; they learn the concept of ‘putting themselves in others’ shoes’. Our RSHE curriculum embodies values of mutual respect through units of learning such as ‘Healthy Relationships’ and ‘Rights and Responsibilities’. Respect is embodied within our whole school Behaviour Policy. Coaching sessions and inter school games promote an attitude of equality and fairness.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Muskham is situated in an area which is not greatly culturally diverse; therefore, we place a great emphasis with the children on promoting diversity.

Assemblies are regularly planned to address this issue either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning. An example of this is our Hindu member of staff sharing Diwali celebrations with the whole school. Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths; this includes the local Mosque. Through the RSHE and RE curriculums pupils are encouraged to discuss and respect differences between people such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations. The reading matter offered to children celebrates diversity and this is particularly evident in our ‘Recommended Reads List’ and the reading corners in each classroom. We offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected, and global dimension work is embedded in MFL and many of our humanities topics.

Election Time

On Thursday 4th July, Muskham Primary pupils exercised their rights of Democracy and Individual Liberty by voting in very own election.

Some of our children also visited the local polling station.

Quotes from our children

'Opinions are things that we think,  We are all entitled to our own opinion, even if others don't agree with it' 

When voting for the next activity, Sam exclaimed ' I love democracy!' When asked why, he explained it was because it is a fantastic way to choose and compromise on things.

'I follow the rules that make this country a better place.  I do it by not running through corridors, always putting my hand up in class and many other things.  You may think these are just school rules but they help in the wider world'.

'All good citizens represent all British Values, everyday'

'I loved the book 'Invisible Boy' because it shows the British Values'.

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