British Values

At Marshfield School we uphold and teach pupils about British Values which are defined as:

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

We teach these British values through planning a broad and balanced curriculum that includes Religious Education and a whole school approach to teaching and understanding our school Values for Life which are promoted through assemblies, collective worship and class discussion. Children displaying these values in their everyday life are nominated by their peer group at our weekly Celebration Service to receive our special Citizenship Cup.

The school takes part in community events such as the Remembrance Day Service at the War Memorial and the Village May Fair celebrations when pupils dance the traditional May Pole dances. As a school we are committed to heightening pupils’ awareness of the work of different charities and this year we have raised money for Save the Children Fund, Guide Dogs, The Royal British Legion and Children in Need.

Democracy:

In order to reflect the democratic values of our society, we encourage pupils to value and listen to the opinions of others. One way in which we actively encourage this is through our School Council which is made up of two pupils from each class who have been nominated by their peers to represent their views and ideas. For example, this year the School Council has been responsible for the design of the new junior agility equipment and for the introduction of napkins in the school lunch hall.

The Rule of law:

The importance of laws and rules, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced. At the start of each academic year each class discusses and agrees a set of class rules which run alongside the school’s Golden Rules. Pupils are taught that community cohesion and personal responsibility are secured through rules and laws in our society, that they are concerned with our safety and that there are consequences when they are broken.

Individual Liberty:

Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. The school follows the ‘Successful Learners’ initiative which actively encourages pupils to think about how they can improve their learning by making sensible choices in their learning behaviours. These choices are discussed and displayed in the classrooms. 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 teaching and parental information workshops. Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, for example, by signing up for extra-curricular clubs, choosing the level of challenge in their learning and making choices about what they eat.

Throughout the school the classes are named after Olympic host cities (Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing, London and Rio). The Olympic motto of Citius – Altius – Fortius (faster, higher, stronger) is shared and promoted with the children through our school teams names. The motto reminds the children about being the best they can be morally, socially and educationally competing with themselves to be the best they can be, always striving to improve.

Mutual Respect:

Our school values are an integral part of our school ethos and behaviour in our school and the wider community. We expect all members of the school community to uphold these Values for Life and reward good examples and challenge disrespectful behaviour.

Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths or Beliefs:

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to learn about and discuss different faiths and beliefs. We follow the locally agreed South Gloucestershire RE syllabus (SACRE), which covers all the major faiths. We also look for opportunities to explore the celebrations of other faiths and to discuss their similarities to the Christian faith, for example, a whole school Diwali Assembly looked at the way light is important and within their classes pupils explored the importance of light in other major faiths.

In order to expand the pupils’ first-hand experience of other cultures representatives of the Traveller/Roma, Indian and Somali communities of Bristol have led workshops, organised by the Bristol hate crime charity, Stand Against Racism and Inequality (Sari).

Knowledge and Understanding of the World has been identified by the school as a key driver of the School Curriculum and is therefore a focus when planning cross-curricular themes for each year group.

Examples of how British Values are being taught in the curriculum this year.

Reception

In the Foundation Stage we aim to provide the pupils with a broad and balanced curriculum, in which they feel valued, respected and able to reach their full potential. At the beginning of the year we discuss and make class rules that enable them to stay safe and show respect for each other and the school environment.

Through a combination of adult led and child initiated activities, children learn the value of individual liberty and the importance of making ‘good choices’.

During our ‘Celebrations’ topic, pupils are taught about the similarities and differences between different faiths and cultures.

We also have our ‘All About Me’ box which each child will take home and fill with items that reflect their home cultures. They then have a chance to share this box with the class; talking about their own family traditions, discuss their likes and dislikes openly, fostering tolerance and mutual respect.