Tupton Primary and Nursery School  – Statement of British Values

The Government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. These were reiterated in 2014 and there is an expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of:

  • democracy
  • the rule of law
  • individual liberty
  • mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.

At Tupton Primary and Nursery School, these values are reinforced regularly as part of our curriculum as well as through the daily experiences of life at our school. Detailed below are just some of the ways that we promote British values here.

Democracy

The children at our school learn about democracy in a number of ways. Our pupils experience democracy in action and are given the platform to express their views and influence the decisions the school makes. For example:

  • Children elect Class MPs who represent their class at School Parliament meetings
  • Class MPs lead School Parliament meetings in their own classes
  • Bronze Ambassadors represent our school at Area Sports Meetings and feedback information to school
  • Children thoughts and views about school are sought regularly through a variety of ways including questionnaires and Pupil Voice.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be class rules, school rules or laws are consistently reinforced at Tupton. Pupils are taught why laws are necessary, and that everyone has a responsibility to uphold the law. Children also learn that there are consequences when rules or laws are broken. Detailed below are some of the different things that we do at Tupton to promote the rule of law:

  • We share a common set of school values that everyone in the school community upholds
  • At the start of the year, classes decide what classroom rules they should have. These are referred to regularly throughout the remainder of the year as a way of reinforcing good behaviour
  • Our school’s Behaviour Policy and Golden Rules are consistently applied by all staff
  • We have visits from the fire service and police and take part in activities such as Speed Watch.
  • Assemblies, visits, PSHE and Topic work reinforce the importance of school rules and laws and everyone’s collective responsibility to uphold them

 Individual Liberty

Children are actively encouraged to make choices. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for our children to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Listed below are some of the ways that our children learn about individual liberty and personal choice:

  • Participating in homework activities of their choice
  • Expressing their views in class discussions and debates
  • Learning about influential characters in history
  • Learning about their rights and personal freedoms safely through E-Safety and PSHE lessons and activities
  • Making choices about the activities they can take part in at lunchtime
  • Participating in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities

Mutual Respect

Respecting one another is central to the school’s aims and ethos. Mutual respect and understanding is promoted in school:

  • Through the day to day interactions between everyone who works in our school
  • Through the consistent application of the school’s behaviour and anti-bullying policy
  • By ensuring whole school assemblies teach our children to show respect to one another
  • By our children having the opportunity to take part in competitive sport where they learn to play fairly and to show respect towards their opponents
  • By involving pupils in discussions and assemblies related to what “Respect” means and how it is shown

 Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Tupton works hard to ensure that our children learn about different faiths, cultures and beliefs so that they are fully-equipped to live in a multi-cultural society. Detailed below are some of the ways in which we achieve this:

  • Our Jigsaw RE curriculum ensures that children learn about a variety of religions and religious festivals and about those who do not have a religious faith or belief
  • Children learn about places of worship that are important to different faiths
  • Assemblies include stories from a variety of different faiths and cultures
  • At Tupton we will actively challenge pupils, staff, governors or parents expressing opinions contrary to our universal values, including ‘extremist’ views.