British Values

In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

The Key Values are:

✓ Democracy
✓ Rule of law
✓ Individual liberty
✓ Mutual respect
✓ Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At St Michael’s, we aim to promote British Values in everything we do in school within the following ways:

 

Democracy

We aim to:

  • Encourage pupils to become involved in planning school activities

  • Ensure pupils’ views are gathered and that they are listened to in school

  • Encourage pupils to become involved in decision making processes in school

  • Help pupils to express their views

  • Hold ‘mock’ elections or debates so pupils learn how to argue and defend points of view

  • Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services (police, fire service, school crossing warden etc.)

  • Organise visits to the local council and/or parliament and/or visits from councillors and MPs.

  • Teach pupils how public services operate and how they are held to account.

  • Teach pupils how they can affect decision making through the democratic process.

  • Include in the curriculum information on the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain.

  • Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged.

 

Rule of Law

We aim to:

  • Help pupils to devise their own class rules.

  • Ensure school rules are known and understood, and expectations are clear and fair.

  • Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made.

  • Include visits from the police in the curriculum.

  • Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals.

  • Teach pupils aspects of both civil and criminal law and discuss how this might differ from some religious laws.

  • Develop restorative justice approaches to resolve conflicts.

 

Individual Liberty

We aim to:

  • Challenge stereotypes.

  • Implement a strong anti-bullying culture.

  • Model freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence.

  • Give pupils choices of activities and/or resources

  • Provide some open-ended activities so pupils can follow their interests and express themselves.

  • Ensure activities and resources are inclusive, e.g. in the Early Years, boys can dress up, girls can play with dinosaurs etc.

  • Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence

  • Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights.

 

Respect and Tolerance

We aim to:

  • Build relationships with pupils and their families.

  • Ensure pupils take turns, share resources and work together cooperatively.

  • Ensure resources reflect the cultural diversity of modern Britain.

  • Celebrate festivals and special occasions.

  • Talk about feelings and behaviour.

  • Help pupils to acquire understanding of, and respect for their own cultures and ways of life.

  • Organise visits to places of worship

  • Develop links with faith and ethnic communities.

  • Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.

  • Develop critical personal thinking skills.

  • Discuss differences between people such as differences in faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations, such as looked after children or young carers.

  • Promote respect for individual differences.

  • Ensure discussions with parents are private.