Promoting British Values at St Chad's Catholic Primary School
The Department for Education states that there is a 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 were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014.
At St Chad's Catholic Primary School, these values are reinforced in the following ways:
As a Catholic School we actively promote values, virtues and ethics that shape our pupils' character and moral perspective, through the teachings of the Church. We are confident that our continued focus on the Gospel Values will give our pupils the necessary awareness of what it means to be a good citizen in Britain today, and embed in them the building blocks of a future successful and productive life. We believe through the teaching of our school curriculum, we promote tolerance, acceptance, peace, being non-judgmental, humility, justice, the dignity of each human being, forgiveness, generosity, fairness, discipline and hope.
Democracy
Democracy is embedded at our school. 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. Pupils also have the opportunity to air their opinions and ideas through our School Council. Elections for the School Council are based on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action. Children in KS2 classes also learn about democracy during the Ancient Greece topic as well as when local or national elections are held. This is particularly apt as Class 5 is used as a Polling Station.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the school or the country, are consistently reinforced. Our school rules are deeply embedded in our work every day. As a school we discuss and display the school rules which are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every pupil is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. Our 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. Details about school rewards and sanctions, choice and consequences are detailed in our Behaviour policy.
Individual Liberty
Within school, 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 our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment, an empowering education and a curriculum based upon clear Christian values. Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely; examples of this can be clearly seen in our e-safety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of our core values and key to our school rules. Our pupils are fully involved in the review of our school rules and Mission statement and these are deeply embedded in all that we do at the school. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have and to everything, however big or small. The core value of respect at St Chad's Catholic Primary School underpins our work every day both in and out of the classroom.
Tolerance of Those with Different Faiths and Beliefs
Our core value of respect ensures tolerance of those who have different faiths and beliefs. St Chad's Catholic Primary School enhances pupils' understanding of different faiths through teaching of regular 'other faith' topics planned through our RE scheme 'Come & See'. We take children on visits to other places of worship, such as the local Mosque, to meet children of other faiths and celebrate our shared values. We have welcomed visitors to school, such as Mr Eric Cohen, who helped children to understand the rites and rituals of his Jewish faith. Through understanding other faiths, we believe that our children learn tolerance and respect.