St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School
We act with love, build our faith and grow as people
British Values
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. Actively promoting ‘British Values’ also means challenging pupils, staff, or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views. At our school, values of tolerance and respect permeate all areas of school life and are reinforced by our Christian values. This engenders a climate within which pupils feel safe and secure and facilitates the fulfilment of potential. Pupil voice plays an integral part in driving the school forward and school rules at different levels are seen as the foundation upon which this can be achieved. The government set out its definition of British values in the ‘Prevent Strategy’:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual Respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
At St. Margaret Clitherow Primary School we recognise our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain. The staff and Governors are fully committed to ensuring that our gospel values, which are intertwined with fundamental British values, are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work within our school. As a Catholic School, the children, and many of the adults, who make up our school community share a worldwide faith, which ensures that our school if made up of pupils and adults from a wide range of cultures and nationalities. We value the diverse backgrounds of all pupils, staff, governors, and families and are able to celebrate these through a wide range of lessons and events, teaching tolerance and respect for each other, the differences in our community, and the wider world. Our faith and Christian values enable us to accept and welcome all members of our own faith and those of other faith traditions, who enjoy their own place within our school community and enable us all to share our values of love, care and commitment to all, regardless of nationality, race or religion. We are committed to:
· giving children the opportunity to explore values and beliefs including religious beliefs, and the way in which they impact on peoples‟ lives;
· encouraging children to explore and develop what animates themselves and others;
· giving children the opportunity to understand human feelings and emotions, the way they impact on people and how an understanding of them can be helpful;
· developing a climate or ethos within which all children can grow and flourish, respect others and be respected;
· accommodating difference and respecting the integrity of individuals;
· promoting teaching styles which value children’s questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns;
· enabling children to make connections between aspects of their learning;
· encouraging children to relate their learning to a wider frame of reference, e.g. asking “why‟, “how‟, and “where‟, as well as “what‟ and “when‟.
All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts and, in particular, our RE and PSHE lessons provide excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding. All pupils are encouraged to embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and are expected to demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives.
We are aiming to develop:
· honesty
· an agreed sense of right and wrong with the confidence to stand up for what individuals believe in
· consideration for others and an appreciation of their uniqueness and qualities
· a concept of “fair play” – winners and losers – in sport and games
· drug awareness and personal safety (including e-safety)
· responsibility for self and others
What are British Values?
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key “British Values‟ are taught in all UK schools. Actively promoting 'British Values' also means challenging pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including “extremist‟ views. At our school, values of tolerance and respect permeate all areas of school life, and are reinforced by our Christian values. This engenders a climate within which pupils feel safe and secure and facilitates the fulfilment of potential. Pupil voice plays an integral part in driving the school forward and school rules at different levels are seen as the foundation upon which this can be achieved. The government set out its definition of British values in the “Prevent Strategy‟.
