British Values
Promoting Fundamental British Values
“Schools should 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 Prevent strategy 2011: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-strategy-2011)
Crook Log Primary School is proud to be a mixed, multicultural community. Our ethos values each member of the school equally and creates the expectation that everyone will be treated with mutual respect and tolerance. For more information about how the different values are taught or experienced, see below.
Democracy:
The children learn about democracy practically through voting for choices which the class makes. This can take the form of voting for a particular story or theme in the Nursery using our feet or our fingers to point, all the way up to participating in secret ballots in upper years. From Year 1 the children participate in elections for School Council. Two representatives are chosen from each class to participate in School Council meetings. School Council is a valued part of the decision making within the community, raising children’s concerns, giving feedback to the Senior Management and ensuring that the pupils are well represented and clearly heard. They played a key role in selecting play equipment, assessing needs of the children and voting accordingly. The children also learn about democracy through planned activities, including history lessons, discussions and experiencing ‘mock’ elections tied into the General and Local election cycle.
The Rule of Law:
Children are taught the difference between right and wrong throughout their time at school. Crook Log Primary School has a clear behaviour policy with consequences for appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. Children are aware of the different stages within the behaviour support system from Reception up to Year 6, ensuring a consistent understanding of consequences of behaviour throughout the school. Children take an active part in drawing up Class rules each year, enabling the children to take an active part in their expectations of behaviour within their class community. Playground rules are displayed in outside areas, making expectations clear.
Throughout the school, rules and the reasons for specific rules are discussed as and when necessary. Children and staff have a clear understanding of the need for and purpose of rules in keeping everyone safe.
Individual Liberty:
Children are encouraged to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence through their daily school life. They build on their understanding of rules and how our community works by taking responsibility for their own actions and choices. Crook Log Primary School provides a safe environment in which children can learn about and then practise taking risks to establish a habit of making sensible and well-founded choices. For example, the children are taught about e-safety throughout the years, from Nursery up to Year 6. They are provided with their own space on the school website and can build up an online presence safely in a well-monitored system.
Assemblies, planned PSHE discussions and incidental teaching moments all provide opportunities for the children to explore their own individual liberty and how respecting others’ individual liberty impacts on their daily life.
Mutual Respect:
Mutual Respect is fundamental to the ethos of Crook Log Primary School. All members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. Children are encouraged to explore their understanding of respecting others from their first day in Nursery to their last day of Year 6 and beyond through incidental discussions, circle times, assemblies, modelled behaviour and curriculum opportunities. Crook Log Primary School values achievements and experiences both informally, through classroom discussions, celebrations and Show and Tell, and formally through Star of the Week certificates which are awarded during a weekly assembly.
Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs:
Crook Log Primary School encourages pupils to learn about different faiths and beliefs through assemblies, R.E. lessons, exploring others’ points of view in circle time discussions and ensuring that the curriculum reflects a range of different cultures where possible. As children become more aware of the different faiths and beliefs in this way, they also develop their understanding and capacity for tolerance. Children are encouraged to celebrate (in the Early Years) or mark festivals from different religions and cultures. Members of different faiths are encouraged to share their own knowledge in order to enhance the learning within the class.
Crook Log Primary School is committed to the development of the whole child. We all work together to ensure that the children reach their potential in each area of life and realise their role as a Global Citizen.
