Teaching British Values

Promoting British Values at St Charles

The Department for Education (DfE) has recently reinforced the 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.

At the heart of all we do at St Charles are the Gospel values of love, patience, truth, understanding and respect. British Values are seen as an integral part of this ethos and of the School’s Social, Moral, Spiritual and Cultural education for pupils. At St Charles British values are fostered and developed regularly in the following ways:

Democracy

Democracy is nurtured throughout the school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and Pupil Voice questionnaires and discussions. Members of the School Council are elected democratically by their peers every year. From September 2015, House Captains will be elected by pupils in Key Stage 2.

The Rule of Law

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that come from God, or those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, how they govern and protect us, the responsibilities for individuals and the consequences that arise when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police, Fire Service, Magistrates, etc. help pupils to understand the Rule of Law and how it impacts on them and the wider society.

Individual Liberty

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make informed and sensible choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school, we provide our young people with an education that empowers them, whilst at the same time providing boundaries which allow them to make choices safely. 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 E-Safety and PSHE lessons.

Opportunities are given to pupils to demonstrate freedom of choice in lessons and at playtime.

We strongly believe that all pupils should have their voice listened to, whether at an academic level or a personal one. Adults are always available to listen to and support pupils.

Mutual Respect

The School motto of “Love God, Love Your Neighbour” encapsulates our desire and expectation that everyone in the school community should demonstrate respect. This is reflected in all curriculum policies as well as in classroom practice. The School’s Keys to Succeed and Golden Rules all reflect the expectation of mutual respect.

Assemblies regularly explore what respect is and how it is shown to those around us. Children are encouraged to help and support those less fortunate than themselves through our charity work and our work with the wider community.

Our school is very diverse. We cherish this diversity and celebrate it daily as well as at International Evening, Christmas concerts and other whole school events. Our curriculum reflects multi-culturalism, for example, we study texts, stories, music and art from a range of cultures. We are an inclusive school and do not tolerate any discrimination on the basis of race, gender or ability. In October we celebrate Black History Week with a range of activities, workshops and events. This serves to widen pupils knowledge and understanding and, consequently, to foster respect for everyone.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. As well as studying the Catholic faith, we study other major faiths as part of our RE curriculum, including Judaism, Islam and Sikhism. Wherever possible, we explore the rituals and traditions of other faiths and belief groups including visiting their places of worship or inviting in representatives of those faiths.

Every year we hold an Anti-Bullying Week during which we discuss how to prevent prejudices and prejudice-based bullying as part of learning in PSHE. Our EAL department ensures that the languages and cultures of our school community are celebrated and actively displayed throughout the school. Language buddies help to support new pupils to the school and their parents who may not have English as a first language.