Cleobury Mortimer Primary School

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  1. Cleobury Mortimer Primary School
  2. Learning
  3. British Values

Promoting Fundamental British Values

 

In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in schools 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.

These values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE), SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) and Religious Education (RE). We also teach British Values within our broad and balanced curriculum, ensuring that our curriculum planning and delivery include real opportunities for exploring these values.

The Key Values are:

  • democracy
  • rule of law
  • individual liberty
  • mutual respect
  • tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs 

Intentions:

  • To enable pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
  • To enable pupils to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of Britain;
  • To encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
  • To enable pupils to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in Britain;
  • To further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
  • To encourage respect for other people;
  • To encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in Britain. 

Here is a flavour of how the School develops and promotes these fundamental values:

British Values Booklist

We recommend some key books for your classrooms that help to promote these values. Please click the below picture for more information.

icon british values

Democracy

UN CRC Article 12: Children have the right to say what they think should happen, when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinions taken into account 

  

  • Democracy is an important value at our school. Every year there is a democratic process where each class can nominate a representative for our School Council. Children participate in Parliament week as this allows them to see the link with the real world and how Government works. Younger children also begin to understand democracy as they regularly vote for which story, they would like to hear. 
  • During regular School Council meetings, they discuss and vote on decisions that will impact the school. The children learn about representation, its importance and meaning; how to organise the agenda and chair a meeting and the value of having a voice. Key focus areas for discussion are our school priorities, what is going well across the curriculum and any suggestions for further improvement. The Councillors report pack the content of their meetings to their class. 
  • The children learn the vocabulary related to democracy such as representation, nomination and voting. 
  • Democracy is taught about and discussed in PSHE lessons and assemblies. 
  • Our robust History curriculum teaches how British history has helped to shape Modern Britain and its values. 
  • In Year 6, children also can nominate themselves to be a House Captain. They have to perform their “campaign” speech to their class prior to a secret ballot. The winning candidates are announced in a whole school assembly. 

 

In school, we have been celebrating the British Value of "democracy" by participating in Parliament Week.

We have been finding out about debates, referendums and voting.

To finish the week  we welcomed The Rt. Hon. Phillip Dunne into school and enjoyed listening to his experiences as a politician and Member of Parliament.

School Council had a meeting with him and asked him many questions.

We really enjoyed learning all about democracy.

The Rule of Law

UN CRC Article 19: Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for, and protect them from violence, abuse and neglect by their parents, or anyone else who looks after them. 

  

  • At Cleobury Mortimer Primary School, we have high expectations of pupil conduct, reflected in our Positive Behaviour Policy and which is clearly evident to visitors of the school. The importance of laws and rules, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day. 
  • We have clear behaviour protocols in place, that are followed by all members of staff from teacher to support staff and lunchtime supervisors. The children understand the procedures in place, and what will be the consequences of their actions. 
  • A key part of our Positive Behaviour Policy is allowing children time and opportunity to reflect upon their behaviour, what they need to do to change their behaviour in future and to whom, if appropriate, they need to apologise. 
  • Children are given time to consider the part that we all play in society. They learn about their rights and also their responsibilities and how our actions have consequences that can affect those around them. Through our curriculum including PSHE/RSE lessons and our assemblies, visits and visitors, children are taught to know right from wrong, how to keep themselves safe and to do the right thing, even when it is difficult. 
  • Visits from other agencies including PCSOs, Road Safety Team, Fire Service and Ambulance feature in our calendar and help reinforce the message of the consequences if rules are broken. 

 

Individual Liberty

UN CRC Article 31: All children have a right to relax and play, and to join a wide range of activities. 

UN CRC Article 15: Children have the right to meet together and to join groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights 

  • Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices at our school, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our Online Safety teaching and PSHE/RSE curriculum. Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, e.g. signing up for extra-curricular clubs, choosing the level of challenge in some lessons as well as in pupil-led learning. 
  • Through the PSHE/RSE and Computing curriculum, as well as through visits from the police, road safety and cycling organisations, children are taught how to keep themselves safe in the physical and online world. 
  • The assembly timetable is made up of Whole School assemblies, Key Stage assemblies and Singing assemblies along with a Celebration assembly. These assemblies set the tone for the expectations for the day at school, demonstrate our school ethos as well as celebrating the success and hard work from the children for the week. Children receive Star of the Week certificates during the Celebration assembly which can be rewarded for kindness, perseverance, achievement or being a positive role model for example. House Points also reward children for following the school rules and expectations as well as for their hard work and determination. 

Mutual Respect

UN CRC Article 2: The Convention applies to everyone, whatever their race, religion, abilities, whatever they think or say and whatever type of family they come from. 

UN CRC Article 30: Children have a right to learn and use the language and customs of their families, whether these are shared by the majority of people in the country or not. 

  • We have high expectations about pupil conduct and this is reflected in our Positive Behaviour Policy and Equality Statement. 
  • Children are awarded with stickers and certificates for behaving in a kind, respectful and polite way. They earn House Points for behaviour as well as for effort and achievement. 
  • Through their PSHE/RSE lessons and assemblies, children are taught and given opportunity to develop their understanding of the importance of cooperation, collaboration and to be supportive, understanding and appreciative of differences. Children also learn this in other subjects across the curriculum. 
  • Play leaders from Year 6 receive training to support the play of children from Early Years, Key Stage 1 and 2. 
  • Children and adults alike, including visitors, are challenged if they are disrespectful in any way. 

This year for Black History Month, children in classes across the school learnt about important figures or events that are significant, from footballers to mathematicians to poets. We thought about how it is important to remember that October is not the only month in which we learn about Black History and that it is important that everyone sees themselves represented in things such as books, films and on television.


Please click on the image below  to see the different things that the children have learnt throughout October.

Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs

UN CRC Article 14: Children have the right to think and believe what they want, and to practise their religion, as long as they are not stopping other people from enjoying their rights. Parents should guide their children on these matters. 

  • Our Equality Statement clearly states our view on the importance of respecting difference in whatever form that difference might take. 
  • Education, understanding and awareness of different faiths and beliefs are fundamentally important to us. Tolerance and understanding are taught and promoted through the Shropshire Syllabus for Religious Education. 
  • Our assemblies also promote tolerance and understanding of different religions which compliments the RE curriculum so that the children get an overview of a range of religions whilst learning about one religion in depth each year. 
  • Significant religious festivals such as Diwali and Ramadan are studied and celebrated. 
  • Children need to learn how to show respect for others and understand that difference is not only acceptable but welcome. Children know that everyone is welcome in our school. Daily assemblies and learning across the curriculum ensure that this message is constantly reinforced. 
  • Any concerns raised about lack of tolerance or respect for others on school premises, are followed up stringently. 
  • We celebrate awareness days and events, such as the Lots of Socks-raising awareness of Downs Syndrome as a whole school, encouraging children to research and discover differences and similarities between us.  Likewise, we use opportunities such as the Olympics and the World Cup to study and learn about life and culture in other countries. We also raise money for Red Nose Day and Children in Need.