Promoting British values at Pegswood Primary School

Promoting British Values

 At Pegswood Primary School we uphold and teach pupils about the British Values as directed under new Ofsted guidance, September 2014. Democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths are taught explicitly through PSHE, Citizenship, RE and collective worship.

 At Pegswood Primary School these values are reinforced regularly in the following ways:

 

Democracy

There are many occasions within classrooms when decisions are made by voting and our older children took part in their classroom in the recent European Referendum, writing powerful speeches to persuade and then voting on the outcome.

 

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at our school.  Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message.

 

Individual Liberty

At Pegswood Primary 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 informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our e-Safety and PSHE lessons. They are taught about their right to be safe and how and who to respond to if they feel in danger through our child protection policy. Visitors into school reinforce these safety messages.

 

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. This is reinforced through our home/school agreement. We also encourage our children to become part of the School Sport Organising Crew that actively work with children throughout the school, helping them learn new skills in different games. Understanding and appreciating rules is fundamental to this too.

 

Understanding of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We actively promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures. Religious Education lessons and PSHE lessons reinforce messages of understanding and respect for others reinforced through our attribute of Empathy. Members of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. The children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths throughout their time in school.

 

School Values

Each week in school we award a different school value. Our values are taken from the British Values above, the Olympic and Paralympic values, rugby values and the School Games values. Winners from each class are decided each week for children displaying the particular value in school.

 

January 23