British Values
Statement of British Values
Radford Semele C of E Primary School is committed to serving our community and surrounding area. We recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever changing nature of the United Kingdom, and therefore the community we serve. We understand our vital role in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.
As a Church of England School, we ensure we live out our theologically rooted Christian vision of 'a family of learners expecting the best'. We have a Christian character but welcome admissions from all those entitled to an education under British Law, including pupils of all faiths or none, in line with the Church of England’s Vision for Education. We promote equal opportunities and guarantee that there will be no discrimination at our school against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status or similar.
The Government requires schools to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught. The Government sets out its definition of British Values in the ‘Prevent Strategy’:
- Democracy
- The rule of the law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
At Radford Semele C of E Primary School, children will encounter these principles throughout everyday school life through our promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, our Christian ‘Values for Life' and work as a Rights Respecting School.
Listed below are some examples of how we promote these values in our school community:
Democracy
As a Rights Respecting School, we ensure that pupils are at the centre of all we do and pupils know that their voices are valued and will be listened to. Our pupil-elected school council plays a strong role in our school. Children are elected by their class peers and are involved in making our school a better place to learn. Pupils in Year 6 may also write a letter of application to the Head Teacher to become part of the Student Leadership Team, who work alongside the Head Teacher to improve all aspects of school life.
Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted throughout the year, as part of our monitoring cycle. We know that the formation of the school council and the active participation of our pupils will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.
At Radford, pupils know that their voices will be listened to and, as a result, action will be taken. In the year 2023, this was shown through pupils designing our new school logo, contributing to the design of our new Reflection Garden, creating their own clubs and organising their own charity events.
The Rule of Law
Our children will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to.
At Radford, we have three simple rules that are lived out throughout school and discussed regularly with the children. They are:
Respect. We show respect to everyone and our environment at all times.
Kind. We are kind and compassionate, demonstrated through the way we interact with others and the language we choose to use.
Ready. We are always ready to listen, learn and follow instructions from adults.
This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through collective worship and our curriculum. Children have regular opportunities to debate and discuss the reasons for laws so that they can recognise the importance of these for their own protection. Throughout the year, we welcome visits from members of the wider community and believe that clear explanations and real-life stories emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils.
Individual Liberty
We invest a great deal of time in creating a positive culture in our school, so that children are in a safe environment where choices and freedoms are encouraged. In lessons, learning tasks are often left for the child to decide upon, using our ‘challenge by choice’ system. We encourage children to choose the task that will challenge them, giving them more freedom to determine their own learning.
We offer a range of clubs, which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests. Many of our pupils show their creativity and unique selves by deciding to lead clubs throughout school based on their interests such as drawing club and dance club.
As part of our work as a Rights Respecting School, and through our PSHE curriculum, we educate children on their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely. At Radford Semele C of E Primary School, we believe that valuing choice and freedom in daily school life will foster a value for individual liberty as the children embark upon their adult lives.
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the core of our school life. All members of the school community treat others with great respect, which is evident when walking around the school. Respect is one of our ‘Values for Life’ which underpin our Behaviour Policy. Praise and rewards reinforce our school values and staff and children are expected to demonstrate our values consistently.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
At Radford Semele C of E Primary School, we offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected. We strongly believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help children to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future.