St Christopher’s RC Primary & Nursery School
British Values
At St Christopher's RC Primary we take our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain. We ensure that fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of the school. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering the understanding of these concepts. Children are reminded of British values in a weekly assembly where they discuss a recent news item and the issues resulting from it.
Promoting British Values
We have separated the five British values below: Democracy, Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
Tolerance of those of different ways of life, faiths and beliefs
We, as a school, fully appreciate the importance of enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in culturally diverse society and giving them opportunities to experience that diversity.
We recognise that all humanity was created by God and is loved by Him. We teach the children to love our fellow man and to be tolerant of those different to ourselves.
Collective Worship, our Values education, CARITAS, RE and PSHE work (which are embedded throughout the curriculum) emphasise tolerance and proactively and successfully educate against any form of prejudice or prejudice-based bullying.
Our children lean about respectful relationships and different ways of life to our own. Our children learn that families come in different shapes and sizes. Some children have a mum and dad, some live with their grandparents and some have two mums or two dads.
Representatives of different faiths and religions visit our school and share their experience in open and respectful discussion which enhances both knowledge and understanding.
Educational visits to our own and contrasting places of worship are actively encouraged.
RE curriculum is well resourced and contains appropriate materials to support teaching.
Awareness days/weeks such as Anti-bullying week are actively promoted and celebrated.
Democracy
School Prayer, Vision, core values and Mission Statement
Pupils are able to offer their opinions within class discussions using "picture news" to create debate.
Staff and pupils lead Collective Worship assemblies weekly and each class has a mass half-termly which is child led.
The Headteacher delivers an assembly each Monday and Tuesday where children are reminded and discuss the British Values in school and society.
Local MP visits to school to talk about her parliamentary work.
Pupil Questionnaires around learning conducted by subject leaders.
Daily Class Worship occurs with the support of the children.
The children independently complete an annual pupil questionnaire.
House Leaders, Faith Leaders & Sports Leaders are voted by the pupils and play an active part in listening to their peers and acting on different initiatives.
Teamwork is modelled by staff and constantly and consistently encouraged in the children. Initiatives such as ‘Learning Partners’ reinforce the importance of effective collaboration and valuing everybody’s contributions.
We endeavour to instill in every child the knowledge that however small they are, they have the ability to make a difference - and they do.
Issues in democracy in the world beyond school are focused upon in an age appropriate manner and parallels are drawn with life in school.. e.g Mock Elections in Year 6
Rule of Law
School Prayer, Vision, core values and Mission Statement
Four school rules are very simple and centre upon the Christian Values of love and forgiveness.
Afternoon Assembly based on a news item from the week that indicates British Values.
The importance of ‘laws’ to govern the class, school or country are upheld as important and are reinforced daily in the general running of the school as well as behaviour management.
Anti-Bullying Policy, assemblies and anti-bullying week.
The values and reasons behind the laws, as well as the way they govern and protect us, are made apparent.
Home/School Agreement, Safeguarding and E-Safety agreement are in place.
Visits from people in authority reinforce the need for rules, eg PCSOs, local councillors and school governors. Visits to crucial crew and road safety talks.
Individual Liberty
School Prayer, Vision, core values and Mission Statement.
House Leaders, Faith Leaders & Sports Leaders
Within school children are actively encouraged to make choices, whilst knowing they are in a safe and supportive environment.
Making the right choices, being forgiven and enabled to try again when they make the wrong ones, underpins our behaviour management strategies.
Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely.
Whether it be through a choice of who to play or work with, of what to have for lunch, of which extra-curricular clubs to participate in, the children are encouraged and given freedom to make a choice and supported in living with it.
With all the above, it is our aim that our children will be able to evaluate the society in which they live and to make informed, independent choices of good citizens.
Bike Ability, Road Safety, Crucial Crew, challenging work.
Residential opportunities and trips.
Mutual Respect
School Prayer, Vision, core values and Mission Statement.
The work of the PTA.
Pupil, Parent, Governor and Staff Questionnaires.
Competitive sports.
Celebration Assemblies.
Reflection opportunities in assembly.
Mutual respect is one of the core Christian values that underpin every aspect of life in our school, as well as our Behaviour Policy.
All staff treat each other and the children in our care with respect.
We endeavour to respect and value one another’s property and opinions – even and especially when it is different to our own.