British Values

Promoting British Values at Archdeacon Cambridge’s Church of England Primary School

The Department for Education introduced a statutory requirement for British Values to be taught in schools “to create and enforce 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 school readily incorporates the values into Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural teaching and learning and makes links to our Christian Values of Compassion, Endurance, Forgiveness and Thankfulness. We have a permanent display next to the worship board and refer to British Values as appropriate, for example when reinforcing ‘Democracy’ when choosing our new House names.  Our community includes our school community, the wider community locally, nationally through celebrations such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the global community when we focus on Christian Aid fund raising and other charitable activities. Collective Worship planning identifies the links to values as in the examples below.

Democracy:

Democracy is embedded within Archdeacon Cambridge’s. Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council, pupil questionnaires and regular ‘Pupil Voice’ assemblies. The election of School Council is based on the children’s vote in each class. Our school behaviour policy involves rewards which the children vote on in class through class charters. 

The Rule of Law:

The importance of Laws, whether they are class, whole school or the country are regularly reinforced throughout teaching and learning, as well as reinforcing behaviour expectations through school Collective Worship and assemblies. Children are taught the value and reasons behind laws or rules, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. At Archdeacon Cambridge’s this is linked to our ‘Golden Rules’, as children are rewarded for following the rules and understand the consequences for breaking them.

Individual Liberty:

Within school, children are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. At Archdeacon Cambridge’s we educate and provide boundaries for young children to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-safety, RE lessons and PSHE lessons, as well as through outdoor learning and school trips. Through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Mutual Respect for and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy revolves around values such as respect and inclusion. Recently this is included a focus on key Christian Values which the children have learnt about over the past year and how these values also link to respect and inclusion. Children have been a part of these discussion and assemblies related to what each value means and how it is shown. This is reiterated through each classroom, the schools golden rules and modeling from all members of staff, as well as our behaviour policy. We enhance children’s understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and give them opportunities to experience such diversity. At Archdeacon Cambridge’s this is done in a variety of ways including school visits, Collective Worship and assemblies, RE and PSHE lessons as well as across the whole curriculum where relevant.