British Values
The Intent, Implementation and Impact of British Values at Victoria School
Intent
At Victoria School, we aim to promote British Values in our school through both implicit and explicit aspects of the curriculum.
We recognise the importance of pupils developing an understanding of “fundamental British values” which are democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths.
From Early Years, through KS1 and KS2 we expose pupils to the core fundamental values that,
- Enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
- enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England
- encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely
- enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England
- demonstrate tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation for and respect for their own and other cultures
- encourage respect for other people.
- encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England
Implementation
Our curriculum is planned to help our pupils know and value who they truly are and understand how they relate to other people in this ever changing world. We develop self-esteem and confidence through, not only the SMSC framework but throughout the wider curriculum.
SMSC: is the over-arching umbrella that encompasses personal development across the whole curriculum and teacher plan lessons and events that support;
The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their:
- ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life
- knowledge of, and respect for, different people’s faiths, feelings and values
- sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
- use of imagination and creativity in their learning
- willingness to reflect on their experiences
The moral development of pupils is shown by their:
- ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
- understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions
- interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues
The social development of pupils is shown by their:
- use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
- willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
- acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain
The cultural development of pupils is shown by their:
- understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and that of others
- understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures in the school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
- ability to recognise, and value, the things we share in common across
cultural, religious, ethnic and socio-economic communities - knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain
- willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities
- interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept and respect diversity. This is shown by their respect and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities
We use Jigsaw and the Kidsafe programmes to promote pupil voice and encourage children to speak up, to be able to debate issues that affect themselves and others and the tools to seek help if needed offering effective skills to keep themselves safe from various forms of child abuse without shattering their innocence.
Older pupils gain an understanding of how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process. They learn to appreciate that the law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety.
Pupils are aware of their rights and responsibilities within their homes, school and in the wider community.
Their eyes are open to the wider world, diversity and the possibilities that are available embedding an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.
In addition, we offer enriching opportunities outside of these schemes.
Some examples include:
Spiritual
Thought provoking assemblies.
Annual services at Harvest, Easter and Christmas
Awareness of other religions and their festivals.
Charity events to raise awareness, for example, Random Acts of Kindness Day.
Mental Health and mindfulness lessons
Moral
Charity events to support others
Gripping Yarns – annual drama presentation on themes of Anti Bullying (Y4) and Internet Safety (Y5)
Play in a Day - Parliament and British Values
Safer Internet Day
Mini Police
Art project on Women’s Right to Vote
Social
Taking part in community activities: Workington and Whitehaven Festival (choir), Young Voices (choir)
Bikeability training
Whole school arts projects.
First Aid training for pupils and staff
Breakfast Weeks
Cultural
Osiligi Warriors
Zulu Nation
German Residential and Exchange programme
Impact
The teaching of British Values is linked through our provision of SMSC which enables students to,
- develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
- distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
- accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
- acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England;
- demonstrate tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
- show respect for other people;
- demonstrate respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.
