British Values

Our school reflects British values in all that we do. We encourage our children to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world.

We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British Society and to the world.

 

What are British Values? Schools have been asked to explain how they promote British values. So what are ‘British’ values? There are certain values that have been attributed to being British, by the government and some institutions, and these values fall into the following broad areas:

• Democracy

• The Rule of Law

• Individual Liberty

• Tolerance  

• Respect.

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How do we specifically promote ‘British Values’ at St Vincent’s RC Primary School? We seek to promote British values in our policies and practices. Our activities and the way we manage learning and behaviour, clearly reflect British values. We promote these values in the following ways:

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• Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services - by discussing these whenever appropriate in curriculum work

• Teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process – e.g. in our School Council work

• Include in the curriculum information on the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain – e.g. when considering periods of history where democracy was not as fully developed as it is now

• Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school - again through the work of the School Council

• Hold ‘mock elections’ so pupils learn how to argue and defend points of view e.g. when electing representatives to the School Council for each class

• Help pupils to express their views e.g. through English lessons and opportunities to present work and opinion

• Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged e.g. through our interactions with pupils and the school’s behaviour system and discussing scenarios in Collective Worship and through PSHE work.