Fundamental British Values

Fundamental British Values

Seahouses Primary School is committed to working closely and in harmony with its community and celebrating the diversity of the UK. We aim to prepare children for life in modern Britain and to ensure that our school ethos, curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning reflect and promote Fundamental British values.

We recognise that these values are not exclusive to being British and that they have come to be accepted throughout the democratic world as the method of creating an orderly society in which individual members can feel safe, valued and can contribute to for the good of themselves and others.

We work alongside our local community and recognise the variety of religious beliefs within it. We take children outside the school to take part in local events and meet different members of the community to appreciate the valuable contributions they make.

At Seahouses Primary School we uphold and teach pupils about the Fundamental British Values which are defined as:

• democracy
• rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

These values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health, Citizenship and Emotional ( PSHCE), and Religious Education (RE). We also teach the British Values through planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum.

The school takes opportunities to actively promote British Values through our collective worship and whole school systems and structures such as electing and running a successful Pupil Parliament (previously School Council). We also actively promote the British Values through ensuring that our curriculum planning and delivery includes real opportunities for exploring these values.

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

Democracy – what do we do?

• Provide pupils with broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services
• Teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process e.g. nominating and electing pupils as school leaders and pupil parliament. 
• Include in the curriculum information on the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain
• Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school
• Organise visits to the local council and Parliament
• Hold ‘mock elections’ so pupils learn how to argue and defence points of view
• Help pupils to express their views
• Teach pupils how public services operate and how they are held to account
• Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged

Rule of Law – what do we do?

• Ensure school rules and expectations are clear and fair
• Help pupils to distinguish right from wrong
• Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made
• Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals
• Include visits from the police in the curriculum,
• Teach pupils aspects of both civil and criminal law and discuss how this might differ from some religious laws
• Develop restorative justice approaches to resolve conflicts

Individual Liberty – what do we do?

• Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
• Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their own behaviour, actions, as well as knowing their rights
• Model freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence
• Challenge stereotypes
• Implement a strong anti-bullying culture
• Follow the UNICEF rights respecting schools agenda

Respect and Tolerance – what do we do?

• Promote respect for individual differences
• Help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life
• Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
• Organise visits to places of worship
• Develop links with faith communities
• Develop critical personal thinking skills
• Discuss differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations, such as looked-after children.