Promoting British Values at St. Peter’s Cross Keys Academy

Background

The Department for Education published "Promoting Fundamental British Values as part of the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) Development" guidance in November 2014.

All maintained schools must also meet the requirements set out in section 78 of the Education Act 2002 when promoting the SMSC development of their pupils. Through ensuring pupils’ SMSC development, schools can also demonstrate they are actively promoting fundamental British values.

Meeting requirements for collective worship, establishing a strong school ethos supported by effective relationships throughout the school, and providing relevant activities beyond the classroom are all ways of ensuring pupils’ SMSC development.

Pupils must be encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. It is expected that pupils should understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

The school’s ethos and teaching, which schools should make parents aware of, should support the rule of English civil and criminal law and schools should not teach anything that undermines it.

If schools teach about religious law, particular care should be taken to explore the relationship between state and religious law. Pupils should be made aware of the difference between the law of the land and religious law.

The DfE have 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.”

The Government also set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, updated April 2021, and these values are integrated into school life.

At St. Peter’s Cross Keys Academy these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Democracy

We have a House Council from Y1 – Y6 which meets weekly to discuss issues raised in class council meetings, and is able to effect change within the school. The elections of the School Council members are based solely on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action. School council work not only to solve issues that the children raise but also have input into their curriculum and the standards of the school.

Through our curriculum children are taught about, and encouraged to respect, public institutions and services. Children have an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school. There is also a suggestion box for children and parents alike.

Children have the opportunity to debate issues through the curriculum and during P4C.

All parents, carers and children can read class/school blogs and make comments on learning.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at St. Peter’s. 

Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message.

Developing leadership is important and children have roles and responsibilities and understand the roles of adults working in and associated to the school. Year 5 make an annual trip to the "Safety Zone" where they experience real life scenarios and how to deal with them.

Individual Liberty

At St. Peter’s, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, whether through a choice of challenge, how they record their work, or their participation in extra-curricular clubs and opportunities. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our eSafety and PSHE work. 

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Mutual respect is at the heart of our Christian values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect.

St. Peter’s provide opportunities for the children to visit places of significant cultural interest, places of worship and we actively encourage visitors from a range of communities and organisations into school. St.Peter’s is not situated in an area of great culturally diversity, therefore we place a great emphasis on promoting diversity with the children. Our RE and PSHE teaching addresses this issue either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Assemblies are regularly planned to reinforce this. St. Peter’s has a robust anti bullying culture and behaviour and safety policies in place. We support charities that are linked to our children’s needs and plan fundraising and awareness raising activities to support those charities.