British Values

PROMOTING BRITISH VALUES AT FLAMSTEAD END SCHOOL.

The DfE have recently 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.”

At Flamstead End these values are taught in, many different ways, through delivering a broad, varied and balanced curriculum which appeals to, and challenges, children of all ages. The school takes opportunities to promote these values during class lessons, assemblies and more explicitly through structured PSHE and RE lessons.

At Flamstead End the British Values are reinforced in the following ways:

Democracy:

Democracy is an important aspect of our school ethos and plays a large role in the development of our school. Children, parents and staff members have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at Flamstead End and democracy is central to how we operate.

One key example is our school council. At the beginning of each school year every class selects two school council members through a democratic vote, once candidates have made speeches to their classmates explaining why they would like to take on the role. The chosen members then attend regular meetings with the Headteacher, Governenrs and teachers to discuss issues raised by fellow class members. In the past the School council has hosted fundraising activities, helped to provide new equipment for the school and have been actively involved in providing teachers with feedback.

Click the link to be directed to the school council page on our website to find out more about the work they do…

Other examples of democracy at Flamstead End are:

• Pupil voice: children are asked to provide feedback to teachers and make suggestions for school council.
• Parents questionnaires: Parents opinions are welcomed at Flamstead End through surveys, questionaries and parents evening conversations.
• Voting: Throughout the school from EYFS to KS2 children are asked to vote to express their choice, whether that be a vote to chose which story to read at the end of the day, which toys to have available during continuous provision or which topics to learn about in their lessons.

Rule of Law:

The importance of laws and rules is consistently reinforced and recognised by teachers and children at Flamstead End. At the beginning of every academic year the children take an active role in formulating and understanding the rules within their class and school. This normally takes part within the first PSHE lesson of the school year.  Within the classroom children work together with their teacher to come up with a specific and individual set of class rules. Every child in the class has the opportunity to have their say about the class rules and give their input. These are then signed by the children and displayed in the classroom as a class charter so that they can be referred to easily.

At Flamstead End we also have a very clear and concise behaviour policy which is the same throughout the whole school to ensure that all members of staff and children have a good understanding of the expectations, rewards and sanctions system.

Other ways in which we promote the Rule of Law:

• Visits from the local police and fire services.
• Anti-bullying ambassadors.
• Playground buddies.
• Cycle proficiency lessons which enable children to understand rules of the road and the potential dangers of breaking rules outside of the school grounds.
•  During lessons across the whole curriculum, for example; children learn about rules within different faiths in RE lessons.
• Specific rules for breaktimes, lunchtimes and assemblies being made clear to the children by communication and displays.

Individual Liberty:

At Flamstead End we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express our views and beliefs. Our school environment is safe, secure and supportive and we aim to provide children with the tools they need to gain the ability to make choices and speak their minds. Some examples of choices we encourage children to make are:

• Extra- curricular clubs to attend.
• Meal choices.
• The quality of their work through self assessment.
• Members of the school and eco-council.
• Choice of clothes on non-uniform days

Together with the pupil support officer, class teachers and teaching assistants children are given plenty of opportunities to discuss and reflect. Children at Flamstead End are offered therapeutic support via the in house support worker or outside agencies, this gives them the tools they need to enable them to express themselves appropriately.

Throughout the whole school we use the zones of regulation. Children are encouraged to choose the zone that they are feeling daily and have opportunities to discuss these feelings with the teachers and teaching support staff in their classes. Having the same common language used throughout the school, and a “calm area” in every classroom means that children have the tools to safely express themselves and their emotions.

Children at Flamstead End are also encouraged to share their feelings, thoughts and opinions in circle times which are normally carried out as part of their PSHE lessons.

Mutual Respect:

Having respect for each other is a key value at Flamstead End School. Children are taught that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and those of others. This is shown through our whole school behaviour policy. All members of our school community show respect for each other, ourselves and our environment. This ensures the children have a safe and secure environment in which to learn and grow. Through PSHE lessons and school assemblies children are taught specific lessons about how to respect each other, they are given ample opportunity to share their ideas about how this can be done but are also granted the right to pass should they not want to share.

At Flamstead End we have a range of key roles and responsibilities that the older children can choose to take on which involve working closely with the younger children in KS1 and EYFS. These roles help to promote mutual respect across the school and include:

• Reading buddies
• Lunchtime helpers
• Playground buddies

Children are also encouraged to celebrate each others achievements from inside and outside of school through celebration assemblies which take place weekly.

Tolerance of different Faiths and Beliefs:

One of our schools’ values at Flamstead End is for us to “aspire for our children to be confident, resilient and well rounded individuals who are prepared for life”. A way that we promote this is to ensure that all our children are able to live and work alongside people from all backgrounds and cultures. Some ways in which we promote diversity and mutual respect for those with different faiths and beliefs are:

• RE lessons that celebrate and explore beliefs of all religions.
• Learning about and taking part in festivals and celebrations throughout the year from all religions.
• Lessons in a range of subjects (not just RE) that explore different religions and beliefs. For example in English lessons children learn through fiction and storytelling and through Art and Music lessons children learn about different cultures from around the world. 
• Members of different faiths, including parents, are invited into school to talk to children about their faith and share their knowledge and experiences.
• Visiting places of worship on school trips.
•  Celebrating cultural differences through assemblies, themed weeks/ days and displays around the school.
• Children are encouraged to share their own experiences when celebrating their own faith.