British Values
At Felmore Primary School, we are committed to improving the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. We are committed to serving the local community and its surrounding areas. It recognizes the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom and those it serves. It also understands, as part of an inclusive community, the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalization by those wishing to influence them.
We recognise our duty to ‘actively 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 and to embed these values into all aspects of school life. Through our proactive approach, we aim to ensure that children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background and that they understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
We promote understanding and knowledge of the following, in line with Department of Education guidance:
- an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
- an understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
- an acceptance that people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
- an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.
The school does, through a wide range of activities, secure such standards and uses strategies within the National Curriculum and beyond to secure appropriate outcomes for children. The list below represents some of what we do towards achieving these standards:
- We include material across the curriculum that focuses on the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law works in Britain, in contrast to other forms of government in other countries.
- We ensure that all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened to, and demonstrate how democracy works by actively promoting democratic processes. Through the Junior Governing Body, we promote democratic processes, fostering the concept and application of freedom of speech and group action to address needs and concerns. The representatives are democratically elected by the class members, regular meetings are held and feedback happens during class assembly times, when outcomes from meetings are shared and new issues are discussed and prepared for subsequent meetings. We also hold school/class elections for other roles and responsibilities, such as head boy and head girl, digital leaders and class ambassadors.
- We use opportunities such as general or local elections to hold mock elections to promote fundamental British values and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view
- We explore both multi-cultural and British traditions, events, festivals and celebrations through class and school assemblies
- We include workshops and activities (such as our anti-bullying workshops) that teach an acceptance and tolerance towards all, irrespective of their gender, race, culture, faith, ethnicity, sexuality, political or financial status.
- We enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
- We enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
- We encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour through a behaviour policy built on rewards and sanctions that is followed consistently.
- We enable students to develop the skills required to access and share information, make and express opinions or decisions and apply themselves to society and the world. This includes understanding the use of money (through maths lessons, enterprise activities, financial literacy assemblies), collaborative work in which ideas are explored to give a broad and balanced view of the society in which we live.
- We hold daily acts of collective worship/assemblies, in which stories, images, events and celebrations are shared in a variety of ways, promoting the values expressed. As a school, we familiarise our children with a range of world faiths but our assemblies are, as required by legislation, “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character.”
- We enable our students to gain a wider understanding of religious diversity and practices through our Religious Education lessons, which cover key religions represented in the UK. We follow the syllabus agreed by Essex County Council.
- We embed our 3 core values of respect, positivity and resilience throughout the school.