Promoting British Values at Kingswood Primary School

The Department of Education has reinforced the 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.”

The government set out its definition of British Values and at Kingswood Primary School we support this view of British society and already have a set of values that underpin the work at our school.

The examples below indicate the many ways we seek to embed British Values at Kingswood Primary School.

Democracy

Democracy is an important aspect of the school. Kingswood has several councils including the School Council, Eco- Committee and Sports Council. Each year elections are held and children are voted in by their peers. Regular meetings take place so children’s views can be shared and discussed with the aim to make Kingswood a better school for its children. Examples of decisions made by the children's councils include: a celebration event for the schools 125th anniversary, an increase in the amount of competitive sporting opportunities for children, Waste Free Wednesday for plastics introduced, a Friday Golden Table for lunchtime  and specific charities so various events take place throughout the year to raise both funds and the profile of the charity.

Children also respond to questionnaires and discuss their views on a number of areas including online safety, bullying and attitudes to learning. The PSHE curriculum provides the opportunity for children to learn about democracy. 

The Rule of Law

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour. There are 5 golden rules in the school which underpin the behaviour policy and they are reinforced in class and in assemblies. The use of rules helps children feel safe and enables them to be treated fairly. Pupils are taught the value and purpose of laws/rules, that they govern and protect us, and the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences of breaking these laws.

Individual Liberty

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 young pupils to make choices, through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education. For example, as early as Reception, children will have many opportunities to select their learning activity. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Pupils are given the freedom to make choices throughout the school day and are actively encouraged to do so. Our range of councils ensure our Pupil Voice is heard with an opportunity for children to influence decision-making and effect real change.

Mutual Respect

The core value of respect underpins our behaviour policy and is constantly reiterated through classroom and school rules; for example one of the school’s golden rules is ‘show kindness to everyone’ and one of our school values is ‘respect’. Children also receive house points  for demonstrating this value. It is taught through the curriculum and in assemblies. Mutual respect for others is modelled in the relationships within the school.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Our school is a community of children and adults from a variety of different backgrounds which makes it an exciting place to be and we all have a responsibility to ensure every individual is valued in an atmosphere of mutual respect and tolerance. Understanding and celebrating our differences is very important when building a strong and supportive community both at Kingswood and the wider world in which we all live.

We actively promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures. The curriculum, including RE and PSHE lessons, along with collective worship, reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others. We ensure children have the opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions that exist between people and faiths. Members of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within the classes and the school and we provide opportunities to develop this through visits to the Redhill Mosque, Sutton Synagogue and local church.

The 'photographs of school events'  section of the website shows some examples as to how we promote BV at Kingswood.