British Values

The introduction of British Values was to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. We teach the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Democracy

We value the contribution all of our children make to school life and seek to provide them with a variety of opportunities to influence decision making which allows their voices to be heard: school council, eco team, chaplaincy team, Caritas Ambassadors and pupil voice surveys,
Members of our school council, eco team, chaplaincy team and Caritas Ambassadors go through a democratic process whereby they apply for the position and take part in a recruitment process that can involve interviews, discussions or presentations to others.
We encourage our parents to participate in decision making within our school through parent forum meetings, parent surveys, parent feedback questionnaires and workshops etc
Our staff are excellent role models who develop strong, respectful relationships with one another, the children and parents. We encourage an open door policy to discuss any concerns and work together to resolve them.
We provide opportunities for our children to see how democracy works within the wider community through invitations to our local MP and by following local and national elections. This is also an opportunity for our older children to debate issues raised at local and national levels and to hold their own mock elections.
During the 2019 General election we held parliament week which involved every year group in understanding Democracy at various levels. Year 6 created manifestos and took part in canvasing, presentation and debate. The whole school then took part in an election to select the party they felt had the best policies. This party then worked with the SLT

Rule of Law

Rules and boundaries are a part of life. We discuss why they are important and what would happen if we didn’t have them. Laws provide us with protection, they help us to take responsibility for our actions and realise that there are consequences.
The children have been a part of drawing up our school rules: Be Ready, Be Respectful and Be Safe. Every aspect of school life can be encapsulated by these rules. Staff and children know them.
Our core values of: Love, Faith, Courage and Passion are at the heart of what we teach.
We promote respect for those who enforce the law and encourage a strong link with our local PCSO

Individual Liberty

Our children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions but to also expect to be treated with respect from others.
We do not tolerate bullying of any kind and this is dealt with quickly.
We provide a safe and supportive environment where our children are encouraged to be independent in their learning.
We provide guidance on how to make safe choices through eg: E-safety week, whole school worships, road safety, cycling proficiency, swimming tuition, our SMSC Curriculum taught through the Jigsaw Scheme and our Religious Education

Mutual Respect

Be Respectful is one of our school rules. All our children are encouraged to demonstrate respect for everyone they meet and to respect the environment in which we live.
Children are expected to take responsibility for how they treat each other and how they make one another feel by their actions.
If children see others being disrespectful we encourage them to stand up for what is right, speak out and help others to see why their actions are inappropriate.

Tolerance and Respect for Different Faiths and Beliefs

As a Catholic community, children are reminded of their place in a culturally diverse society. This is achieved through our Religious Education Curriculum and the spiritual life of our school.
We actively celebrate diversity and equality. We have strong links with a school in France where we have a cultural exchange in alternating years.
We actively promote respect for individual differences.
Our class and whole school worships promote the diversity of society and the rights of each person to be respected and valued equally regardless of ability, gender, faith, heritage or race.
Through our behaviour policy we challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour of any kind.
Twice a year we have other faiths weeks where each year group learns about a different aspect of Judaism and Islam. This allows the children to compare and contrast cultures and beliefs and promotes tolerance and respect for others.