British Values
Promoting British Values
Democracy:
Democratic values underpin the ethos of the school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through Thanet Primary School’s Council, pupil questionnaires and via the listening culture where all adults listen to children and value their views. Our school Behaviour Policy includes rewards such as golden tickets and jigsaw rewards, where all children and staff contribute to a whole school reward system.
Children elected to be on the School Council represent the views of their classmates on various issues. The Council then decides on issues that they would like to pursue through voting and adopting the issues which attract the majority vote. The elections of School Councillors are based solely on pupil votes. Pupils’ views are sought on a range of issues, for example the pupils suggest and vote on activities, resources and equipment to be offered during the lunch break, fundraising ideas and when interviewing new staff. Children at the start of each year also democratically agree what makes a good class, pupil and teacher; their ideas and opinions are sought by teacher’s regarding children’s interests and themes to be included in topic planning.
The Rule of Law:
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. 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. The rules of our school are underpinned by our school values: friendship, responsibility, respect, kindness and honesty.’
Curriculum enrichment visits from authorities such as Police and Fire Service help to reinforce messages around the rule of law.
Individual Liberty:
At Thanet Primary School pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Positive choices are rewarded through positive praise and recognition.
As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices, through both provisions of a safe environment and by providing an empowering education. Our outside areas offer, for example, many opportunities for the children to develop the ability to make safe choices within their environment. These opportunities also exist in our range of after school clubs.
Pupils 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 and PSHE and SMSC circle times. Whether it is through choice of challenge, how they record their learning, or participation in our extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are consistently given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:
Our school values and Behaviour Policy incorporate the value of respect, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is demonstrated at Thanet Primary School. Tolerance is promoted through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. The local Reverend regularly leads assemblies and attends special RE days. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and why their faith is important to them.
Our school values and aims promote respect and tolerance for others and this is reiterated through our classroom expectations, as well as our Behaviour Policy. It is shared with home through newsletters, website information and social media. In school, our library contains a range of books that reflect the diverse voices present in our society as well as tales from other cultures; which the children can access. Enhancement of pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and opportunities to experience some of these differences, has been celebrated through our RE, Creative arts and cultural experiences and visits to places of worship, as we actively engage in promoting an inclusive culture. We participate in many charitable events such as Harvest Festival for the homeless and food banks, Children in Need, Sports Aid and Red Nose Day.
Collective Worship, assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and different forms of bullying have been followed and supported by dedicated topics and learning in RE and PSHE.
Teaching and Learning takes place in the following ways:
- By teachers explaining the meaning of the value.
- By pupils reflecting on the value and what it means to them and their own behaviour.
- Through the recognition of children displaying the value through their work and behaviour.
- By pupils using the value to guide their own actions.
- By staff modelling the value through their own behaviour.
- By ensuring that values are taught implicitly through every aspect of the curriculum.
- Through the work of the School Council.
- By involving all staff, governors and parents, through newsletters which explain how school and home can work together to promote positive values
These values were set out by the Government in its definition of British values in 2011 in the document "Prevent Stategy".
