At the Edward Richardson Primary School, we uphold and promote British Values, teaching our children about:

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

 

Democracy

Our School Council
Democracy is an important value at our school. Pupils have opportunities to have their voices heard in a variety of ways. We have a very active School Council. In September, every child in Years 2 - 6 has the opportunity to stand for election to be a member of the School council. The children put forward their cases, explaining how, if elected, they would represent their class members, and how they would like to see the school improved. A whole-school Election Day is then held, with every child in Classes 2, 3 and 4 voting for their prospective councillors in a secret ballot.

Questionnaires and Interviews
Children’s views about their learning and school in general are very important to us. Our monitoring activities often involve consultation with our children – their views are sought through questionnaires and interviews, by staff members and sometimes by governors. The children tell us their thoughts about topics such as how teachers’ marking supports their learning, about changes they would like to see in the curriculum and the types of resources they would like in the classroom and on the playground.

 

The Rule of Law

Behaviour System
All members of our school community follow our School Agreement. All children and all staff members are assigned to one of our four 'House Teams'. They are named after the elements - Fire, Air, Water and Earth.

Assemblies
Assemblies regularly provide opportunities for children to learn about rules and to reinforce those that are important to the school, the country and the world. All assemblies provide opportunities for reflection and some provide practical strategies that the children can apply across the school day. There is a big emphasis on how the children can support each other. Our Celebration Assembly on Friday sees children celebrating their achievements outside of school, as well as teachers selecting their Legend Of The Week from their class!

Curriculum
The rule of law is also promoted through the curriculum; teachers plan activities for children to learn about current laws in the United Kingdom, but also those that might have applied in the past. The children develop and understanding of how laws have changed and the reasons behind this.

 

Individual Liberty

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through Online Safety sessions, PSHE lessons and assemblies. 

Children are given opportunities, when appropriate and with support, to choose the work they complete in class, making their own decisions about the level of challenge. They can also make choices about how to present their work, both at school and when completing their homework, and about which of our extra-curricular clubs and opportunities to participate in. Out-of-school visits offer further opportunities for children to exercise their individual liberty. For example, during our residential trip, children make their own decisions about how far to push themselves in challenging situations.

 

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of other Faiths and Beliefs

Showing respect is one of 7 Rs, and forms part of our school ethos. We encourage respect for ourselves, each other, and our belongings and property, through the curriculum, PSHE lessons and assemblies. We have high expectations that the children show respect for people in different countries, people who live their lives in different ways to us, people who have different beliefs or lifestyles and those who are different in other ways. Respect for others is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy. Some children choose to talk openly about how they are different and they are encouraged and supported to do so.

Tolerance of other faiths is achieved through enhancing children’s understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by providing them with opportunities to learn about and experience diversity in our local community, which is by large White British. Assemblies, visitors to school and trips all aim to develop the children’s understanding and tolerance of differences, their awareness of prejudice and stereotypes and how these can lead to bullying. Our Religious Education and PSHE curricula build on this and we also use other opportunities to promote tolerance, for example through our Anti-Bullying Week and special themed days, such as our Diversity Days.  We also have links with a school in Leicester, and the children write to ‘pen-pals’ from other cultural backgrounds.