British Values

We help 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.

At St Edward's Catholic Primary and Nursery School, we develop and promote British Values throughout our school and within our curriculum.

“We want every school to promote the basic British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.” Lord Nash

A key part of our plan for education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

British Values

The Rule of Law
Democracy
Individual Liberty
Mutual Respect
Tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs

To do this our children will develop;

An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
An understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
An acceptance that people having different faiths and beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of discriminatory behaviour
An understanding of the importance or identifying and combating discrimination

The mission statement and aims of the school clearly reflect these values, and the whole school strives to uphold them.

Our school is committed to providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment. We value and promote shared personal achievement, high standards and respect for the individual. We believe that by working together we build understanding of one another and develop the self-esteem of every individual.

Our School Aims

Our aims stand upon three fundamental principles;

To provide every child with the life skills to become successful learners who reach their full potential.
To provide a safe, supportive, stimulating and inclusive environment where every child is recognised, cared for, encouraged and valued.
St Edward's will actively ensure the involvement of the whole community, particularly families, who have a vital role in supporting their children’s education. This partnership will encourage healthy and positive attitudes motivating children to become life-long learners.

As a school, we value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody at St Edward's. Alongside this, we value and 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 and trips to the pantomime at Christmas. We also value and celebrate national focuses, recent examples being; World Book Day, Chinese New Year and Safer Internet Day, with many more opportunities planned in throughout the year to collaborate with the wider community and world.

Further to this, children learn about being part of Britain from different perspectives. Two specific examples of when we teach about being part of Britain are:

Geographically: Our rivers, coasts and seaside holiday topics ensure that children have a better understanding of what Britain is, learning more about:

Coasts, rivers and mountains
Where Britain is in relation to the rest of Europe and other countries in the world

Historically: Key moments in British history are studied in the topics such as ‘London’s Burning’ and significant historical figures.

The table below is an indication of where we can find evidence to show that British Values are an intrinsic part of school life at St Edward's.

Value	Evidence
Democracy	Mission Statement Pupil Voice Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at St Edwards Catholic Primary and Nursery School. Democracy is central to how we operate. An obvious example is our Pupil Council. The election of the Pupil Council members reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action: candidates make speeches, pupils consider characteristics important for an elected representative, a vote is then taken. Made up of representatives from each class, the Pupil Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. The council has its own budget and is able to effect change within the school; in the past, the School Council has hosted fundraising activities and helped to provide equipment for our school where needed. The Council are actively involved in providing teachers with feedback. Another example of ‘pupil voice’ is: •children are asked to respond and reflect on the teaching and learning they receive as well as make suggestions for the Pupil Council to consider. 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. This encourages a heightened sense of both personal and social responsibility and is demonstrated on a daily basis by our pupils. Parents’ opinions are welcomed at St Edward's through methods such as questionnaires, surveys at parents evenings and opportunities to comment on whole school matters .
The Rule of Law	Mission Statement/ School aims Behaviour Policy Display of School rules in each classroom, Curriculum links e.g. Crime and Punishment The importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced often, such as in assemblies and when reflecting on behaviour choices. At the start of the school year, each class discusses the school rules and class routines, principles that are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment, these rules are displayed in each class along with the mission of the school. These rules play a fundamental role in our behavior sanctions and rewards and are linked to our 'Going for Gold' throughout school. 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. These values are reinforced in different ways: Visits from authorities such as the police and fire service During Religious Education, when rules for particular faiths are thought about During other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules
Individual Liberty	Mission Statement/School aims Behaviour policy RE Policy Displays of children’s activities Children’s key roles and responsibilities 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 they can improve their learning •choices around the participation in extra-curricular activities Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely, such as in our RE/RSE lessons. Collective worship is used to both explore and support the school’s values. By teaching the children how to manage and understand emotions they will be motivated and equipped to: Be effective and successful learners Make and sustain friendships Deal with and resolve conflict evenly and fairly Solve problems with others by themselves Manage strong feelings such as frustration, anger or anxiety Be able to promote calm and optimistic states that promote the achievement of goals Recover from setbacks and persist in the face of difficulties Work and play cooperatively Compete fairly and win or lose with dignity and respect for all competitors Recognise and stand up for their rights and the rights of others Understand the value the differences and commonalities between people, respecting the rights of others to have beliefs and values different to their own. To respect and value our world, and the things, both material and alive that exist within it. Children in Year 5 and 6 are given key roles and responsibilities such as Play leaders, Playground Buddies, Reading Buddies, Sports ambassadors and Prefects. Through opportunities such as our extra-curricular and Lunch Time clubs, Golden Time and Residential Trips, pupils are given the freedom to make safe choices. Children here are encouraged to make choices knowing they are in a safe and supportive environment.
Mutual respect	Mission Statement/School aims Behaviour policy Roles and Responsibilities Display of children’s activities Display of Virtues and values around school We have high expectations of achievement and behaviour. Children and staff are polite and kind. We believe everyone has their own special gifts and we are expected to use them. We listen and respect each other. We teach the children that conflict will be dealt with calmly and fairly. All members of the school family are valued equally. . We celebrate each other’s achievements whether that be in or out of school through our time to shine assemblies. Teachers plan exciting, interesting, challenging and innovative lessons where everybody is expected to do their best and respect others. When our older children are given key roles and responsibilities to work alongside younger children this helps to promote mutual respect across the age phases.
Tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs	Mission Statement /school aims R.E. policy Worship records Alternative faith work as part of the R.E curriculum coverage At St Edward's we are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs. Tolerance, politeness and mutual respect are at the heart of our aims, ethos and R.E curriculum. Our central aim to 'Prepare children for the future' drives us towards ensuring that our pupils are able to live and work alongside people from all backgrounds and cultures. This will be particularly necessary in a future where due to technological advances will make the 'world a smaller place.' Our pupils know and understand that it is expected that respect is shown to everyone and to everything, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect. Specific examples of how we at St Edward's enhance pupils’ understanding and respect for different faiths and beliefs are: •Through Religious Education, PSHE and other lessons where we develop awareness and appreciation of other cultures – in English through fiction and in art and music by considering cultures from other parts of the world. •Celebrating cultural differences through assemblies, themed weeks, noticeboards and displays. Children are encouraged to share their own experiences when celebrating their own faith. Daily worship reflects and teaches the children tolerance for different faiths and beliefs. Activities within school support both children and adults of different or no faith, the children are taught respect and tolerance of these groups and the opinions of the groups are taken into account with all activities. Whilst instances contrary to our values are relatively rare, each is treated seriously in line with our policies and expectations.

Where are British values with our Curriculum?
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