British Values
What does ‘British values’ mean?
Our school is committed to actively promoting British values to ensure our pupils leave us fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
The government emphasises that all schools should ensure that they teach pupils about British values. We take every opportunity to promote the fundamental British values of:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Through the promotion of these values, our school aims to ensure pupils:
- Understand the democratic process and how citizens can have a say in decision making.
- Recognise the advantages of living under the rule of law and how law is essential for a safe society.
- Understand that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary and why it exists.
- Understand the reasons for accountability of institutions and why courts maintain independence.
- Know why freedom of religion protects all faiths, as well as those with no faith.
- Accept that people who hold different religious beliefs should be tolerated and not discriminated against.
- Value the importance of identifying and combatting extremism.
We promote British values both within and beyond the classroom and these values are at the heart of our ethos.
Examples of where these topics are taught across the curriculum are numerous, they include:
In English, students study a range of texts such as Animal Farm, Macbeth, Otherside of Truth and An Inspector Calls in which the British Values such as democracy and tolerance are explored.
In MFL, students learn about a range of different cultural events and are taught the value of mutual respect between cultures. Democracy is also explored through the teaching of historical events, for example, Year 7 students learn about Bastille Day in France.
In History, students learn about democracy through a range of historical examples. They learn about the development of democracy over time as well as the difference between democracy and other forms of government such as dictatorship. Through the teaching of the holocaust students also learn about the importance of tolerance and respect.
In PSHCE, British Values are explored routinely as part of the curriculum plan. For example, the Rule of Law is explored through topics such as gangs, knife crime and sexting. When there are national events such as general election students are provided with the opportunity to learn about the election process on the importance of such events for the health and wellbeing of our democracy.
In IBEC/RS, British values such as tolerance, mutual respect and individual liberty all themes are explored almost every lesson. Students learn about different religious groups within our multicultural society. For example the unit ‘Islam in Britain’ help students to identify stereotypes and attitudes that are not in keeping with our British values and the students learn how to challenge racism and prejudice when they encounter in society.
