British Values

Promoting British Values

 

Aylesham Primary School agrees with the Department for Education’s five part definition of British Values:

 

• Democracy

• The Rule of law

• Individual Liberty

• Mutual respect

• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

 

We believe it is incredibly important that these British Value permeate through every school throughout the country. Throughout Aylesham Primary School you will encounter these values within our everyday school life. In particular they can be observed through our promotion of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural understanding and our focus on transferable core values that support children to manage transition and the next phase of their lives. These include such qualities as perseverance, tolerance, stamina and independence as well as skills such as being analytical, taking leadership roles and working well as part of teams.

 

At Aylesham Primary School our values are underpinned within the school motto of ‘Where Children Come First’.

 

Below are some of the ways that we promote these values across our community:

 

Democracy

 

Pupil’s voice plays a big part of life across the school. Some of the ways this is represented are through pupil school councils, pupil leadership teams, prefects, house captains, buddies and pupil suggestion boxes. Pupils and staff elect members for a variety of posts which pupils write application letters in order to be considered. They present their statements to the school and parents. Applications demonstrate a great deal of insight into the pupil’s level of understanding, sense of responsibility and empathy towards each other. Through this process pupils develop a respect for democracy and the democratic process.

 

Pupils have input into their learning and in formulating success criteria and therefore play a part in moulding their learning. For example, Year 5 pupils participate in a Social Action Project alongside the East Kent Partnership which promotes an awareness of community responsibility.  In 2014 a team of pupils from the school were the overall winners for the whole of Kent.

 

Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted throughout the year.

 

These, alongside other opportunities will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

 

The Rule of Law

 

Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to. This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum, and indeed through regular and consistent high expectations demonstrated and modelled by staff and other pupils.

 

The involvement of pupils in the creation of school rules, class expectations and where appropriate personal plans helps them to understand the reasons behind rules and the consequences when rules are broken. Through SMSC we aim to support pupils to distinguish between right and wrong. Our core learning skills curriculum provides pupils with a focus on taking responsibility and ownership of the decisions that they make. Pupils are able to discuss rules and how they relate to criminal and civil law within society. Through this, they deepen understanding of the importance of rules and laws for their own and others protection. Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including the police, the fire brigade and many more. This enables pupils to acquire a broad and general knowledge of, and respect for, public institutions and services in Britain. We believe that clear expectations and real life accounts emphasise the importance of the rule of Law of our pupils. We support the pupils to understand how they can positively contribute to those living and working in the community within the school and socially as a whole.

 

Individual Liberty

 

We invest a great deal of time to create a positive culture across the school in order that children are taught within a safe environment where choice and freedom are encouraged. Pupils are encouraged to risk take and be challenged. At an early age pupils are encouraged to determine their own learning based on interests. Through E-safety, a focus on SMSC and PSHE sessions, we educate pupils on their rights and personal freedom whilst supporting them on how to exercise these rights safely. Pupils are encouraged to debate topics and be able to express opinions.  We strive to enable pupils to develop self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence. Throughout the school we believe that valuing choice and freedom in daily school life will foster a value for individual liberty as pupils embark upon their adult lives.

 

Mutual Respect

 

Respect for each other features highly within the ethos of the school. Our school has both pupils and adults representing different ethnic groups with a range of languages. Our pupils and staff work together with absolute respect for each other no matter what differences may exist. Our core learning skills promote support for each other and the valuable contributions we all make to our community. Our school has ‘teams’ that work together to achieve more. Mutual respect is at the core of at schools.

 

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs and for those who have none

 

Our locality means that we are part of, and surrounded by diversity which we celebrate and respect. We offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected.  We believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. We strive to demonstrate tolerance and help pupils to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build and be part of a better Britain for the future.