British Values
Promoting Fundamental British Values at Curry Rivel Church of England Primary School
In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in our school to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.
The Key British Values are:
- Democracy
- Rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
We are helping children to remember the British Values through the thumb and finger model
Thumb – Democracy – up or down to give opinion.
Index finger – Rule of Law - pointing
Middle finger – Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs – tallest finger pointing to God.
Ring Finger – Mutual respect – wedding ring – respect for other people
Little finger – Individual Liberty – sticks out on its own.
We actively promote British Values through
Focusing on and showing how the school’s work is effective in securing these values.
Challenging pupils, staff, visitors or parents who express opinions contrary to British values.
Democracy – what do we do?
- Democracy day: Class voting for the election of school councillors at the start of the year;
- Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services;
- Teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process. E.g. Letter writing to persuade;
- Taught through collective worship and our school curriculum;
- Collective worship teaches on dedicated themes such as the civil rights movement;
- Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school. E.g. Pupil voice in subject monitoring;
- Help pupils to express their views;
- Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged;
- School council actively involved with Parish Council etc
Rule of law – what do we do?
- Ensure school rules and expectations are clear and fair;
- Class rules and celebration of adhering to these rules;
- Help pupils to distinguish right from wrong;
- Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made;
- Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals;
- Explore within our PSHE curriculum laws and what to do if peer pressure is trying to persuade children to break these;
- Refer to the Equality Act 2010 as part of our anti-racism work;
- Annual visit from police to take about knife crime/gangs/County lines with Year 6;
- Regular visits from the PCSO to Collective Worship to discuss the law.
Individual liberty – what do we do?
- Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-confidence;
- Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights;
- Model freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence;
- Challenge stereotypes through diversity in literature, role models and images;
- Implement a strong anti-bullying culture;
- On-line safety units of work are taught throughout school and parents and staff receive guidance/training on this.
Mutual Respect and tolerance of different cultures and religions– what do we do?
- Explore positive role models (where possible) through our curriculum subject areas who reflect the protected characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act;
- Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour;
- Learn about all faiths and about those who have no faith;
- Learn about customs & festivals from around the world;
- Our RE scheme ensures that our children have a good understanding of a range of religious beliefs and customs;
- Help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life.
What is No Outsiders?
What is an outsider? Someone who feels left out, who feels like they don’t belong and are not welcome. We want schools to be teaching that there are no outsiders because everyone is welcome. A four-year-old understands what it feels like to be left out and does not want to be left out. We need to create classroom environments where no child feels left out; every child needs to be taught that they belong. As children grow up, they can sometimes learn that difference is a barrier to friendship.
Our aim is to remove that barrier; to quote the Ofsted handbook (2021), we want children to see that ‘difference is a positive, not a negative’. After all, we are all different: none of us is exactly the same; we are all unique. As they move through school, we want children to explore their differences so that they feel comfortable in their own skin. Children should know who they are and feel proud to be who they are, and also know that they are accepted without judgement. No child should feel that they have to change who they are in order to fit in.
To promote this ethos, we use the ‘No Outsiders’ scheme. Please download the booklet below to find out more.