Teaching British Values
TEACHING BRITISH VALUES
Promoting British Values at Hillside Primary School and Nursery
The DfE have recently 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 have been reiterated this year (2014).
At Hillside these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
2015 -16 Prospectus – Mission Statement
‘We want Hillside to be a place where children show concern, adopt open and positive attitudes to
themselves and others. We want to prepare them to be useful, respectful citizens so they can play a positive role in their community. We encourage care and respect for other people, their faiths and traditions. We help children develop lively enquiring minds to make decisions which affect their future and to understand other people’s points of view’
Pupil voice is the key instrument for delivering democracy at Hillside Primary and Nursery. At the
start of the academic year, as part of our Investors in Pupils practice, all classes decide their unique mission statement and targets for behaviour and attendance.
Every child is part of a school council group which meets once a week. This is an opportunity to discuss any school based issues and to talk with different year groups about things that are going well or any problems. There are representatives from each year group and a member of staff in each group of around 18 children. The expectation for the group is that they will vote to elect a year 6 as the leader, or chair, and they will run the meeting, with the adult there in an advisory role if needed.
Children in Year 4 -6 can apply to be part of Hillside pastoral teams (Prefects, Job Squad and Playtime leaders) on a termly basis. Following successful interviews the successful applicants are inducted into their role and are vocal in the running and organisation of the school.
Annually the childrens perceptions of school are collected through ‘PASS’ and the outcomes
considered by Leadership team.
The Rule of Law
The importance of Laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school, or the country,
are embedded in the Hillside curriculum. Our behaviour policy of Kind hands, kind feet, kind words and kind thoughts has at its core the principle of making the correct choices in life and positively challenging those that are wrong. Our pupils are taught the value and reasons for keeping our agreed rules as they govern and protect our community. The children are encouraged to accept responsibility for their actions; they may make mistakes but must learn from them.
Visits from authorities such as the Police, Fire Service etc. are regular parts of our calendar and help us to ensure that the children know that there are laws that govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
Pupil's personal development and well-being is at the heart of what makes Hillside Primary and
Nursery distinctive and is a real strength to the school. At Hillside, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for the children to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know that with rights comes responsibility.
They are taught to value their personal freedoms and protect it. Our CPSHE and safety information prepares them for life, nurturing confidence, independence and resilience.
Mutual respect is at the heart of our Hillside values. Children learn that their behaviours have an
effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. This is reflected in our Language Charter which supports the use of polite language both inside and outside the classroom. We make every effort to challenge incidents of prejudice, bullying and harassment. Our behaviour code and behaviour policy enables us to monitor whether pupils from particular groups are more likely to be excluded or disciplined than others.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
Hillside Primary serves pupils that are largely white British. As a consequence we have created a
curriculum which promotes common values and builds pupils’ understanding of the diversity that surrounds them. It recognises and celebrates the similarities and differences between cultures, faiths, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. Opportunities are offered to discuss issues of identity and diversity to enable pupils to explore differences and challenge prejudice and stereotyping.
Pupils’ understanding is enriched through visits. In year 6, for example, the pupils visit the Laxton Holocaust Centre following carefully prepared inputs from staff from this centre exploring racism and genocide. Bi-annually all the children participate in ‘Faith day’, meeting members from different faith communities (Islam, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism.