The Department of Education states that there is a need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

We reflect British values in all that we do, ensuring our curriculum planning, core values, activities and community engagement provides opportunities for all learners to deepen and develop an understanding that empowers them to be fully rounded members of society.

We promote a respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process through encouraging pupils to become involved in decision making processes and ensuring they are listened to in school. Talk circles, pupil questionnaires and use of voting to select pupils for roles and responsibilities are all examples of age and stage appropriate democracy in action. In addition pupils plan and lead collective worship. Our PSHRE, Values, RE and History curricula provide opportunities for discussion, reflection and knowledge acquisition of our public institutions and services.

We promote respect for the laws in Britain through ensuring our school rules are clear, fair, and consistently applied. We use ‘Therapeutic Thinking’ to support our therapeutic response to all behaviours, ensuring we are restorative rather than punitive. We support children by teaching pro-social behaviours and providing opportunities to consider right and wrong, both legally and morally, through our Christian values, PSHRE and RE curriculums. The children are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that rules are there to protect us, and that we each have a responsibility to uphold this.

We promote the respect and liberties of ALL within the law. Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for children to make choices safely, through of provision of a safe and nurturing environment guided by the principles our Christian foundation. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, personal freedoms and responsibilities and are supported in exercising these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHRE lessons. We actively seek to give children choices through the challenge and vigour of our curriculum provision including our Forest School.

We promote mutual respect through our school ethos and behaviour policy which emanate from a core set of Christian Values such as Compassion, Forgiveness and Justice. All stakeholders have opportunities to reflect on these whether in Collective Worship or discussion. A different core value is examined each half term and values displays and reflection areas can be found in all classrooms and communal areas around the school.  The promotion of mutual respect is reiterated through our classroom and learning golden rules, as well as in our behaviour, SEND, anti-bullying and racial equality policies. Our school mission statement ’Loving to Learn, Learning to Love. For every child a chance to shine’ underpins the importance of the uniqueness of each child and how they are fostered within our school community.

We promote more than tolerance, but actively teach acceptance, for those of different faiths and beliefs through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity, for example through visiting different places of worship or a talk or demonstration by a community member. Pupils are helped to acquire an understanding of and respect for their own and others’ cultures through Collective Worship, teaching our Christian values, PSHRE and RE teaching and learning.