British Values

At Belvoirdale the values which underpin our school are seen by many as the values that we hold as a nation, these are the principles of; democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. These are often referred to as British Values.

British values are promoted in much of what we do at Belvoirdale through our bespoke curriculum and through our school and class assemblies. These values also underpin the teaching of subjects such as RE and PSHE. They also guide our school council when making decisions and support the smooth running and openness of governor meetings. British values are also integral to our vision and values.

Our Vision

Children, staff and governors fully subscribe to the school ethos, which is built on the principles of:

Our aims are

• To value and respect each other through our behaviour.
• To practise and celebrate academic and creative achievements.
• To celebrate the difference and cultural diversity of each human being.
• To develop a broad vision of the wider world and foster love and care for the environment.
• To help every child realise his or her full potential
• To provide a learning environment which is welcoming, stimulating and nurturing and one which builds competence and confidence.
• To build strong and purposeful links with our parents/carers and local community.
• To provide all staff with a healthy environment in which to work and to create opportunities for their professional development.

As well as actively promoting British values, the opposite also applies: we would actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views.

Being part of Britain

As a school, we value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody. Alongside this, we value and celebrate being part of Britain. This means that we celebrate traditions and customs in the course of the year; for example, Harvest Festival during the autumn term and celebrating Easter and Christmas. We also value and recognise national events such as Remembrance Sunday.

Our curriculum also provides opportunities for children to recognise the historical figures, characters and events of our rich history such as:

• Local and national heroes such as Robert Stephenson and the Queen
• Key moments in British history are studied in the topics such as London’s Burning and the Industrial Revolution.

Democracy

Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at Belvoirdale Primary School. Pupil, parental and teacher voices can be heard in many ways.

The election of the School Council members reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action: candidates make speeches, pupils consider characteristics important for an elected representative and pupils vote. The School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by children and classes and they are actively involved in recruitment and in providing teachers with feedback.

Children are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. We encourage pupils to take ownership of not only their school but also of their own learning and progress. This encourages a heightened sense of both personal and social responsibility and is demonstrated on a daily basis by our children.

Parents’ opinions are welcomed at Belvoirdale through methods such as questionnaires, surveys, parents’ evenings, parental workshops, Friends and Family meetings and by ensuring that senior staff are available at all times during the day to discuss issues with parents and carers.

Rules and Laws

The importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced on a regular basis at Belvoirdale in assemblies and when reflecting on behaviour choices.

Our Golden Rules underpin everything that we do and are displayed in each classroom and around the school.

Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves, and the consequences when laws are broken. These values are reinforced in different ways:

• Visits from authorities such as the police, fire service and youth offending team
• During Religious Education, when rules for particular faiths are thought about and during PSHE when philosophical ideas are challenged
• During other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules

Individual Liberty

Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment, we provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely; for example:

• Choices about what learning challenge or activity
• Choices about how they record their learning
• Choices around the participation in extra-curricular activities

Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely.

Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

Belvoirdale Primary School serves an area which is not culturally diverse and therefore it is essential that we remind and expose our children to the many different faiths and opinions that make up our diverse society. Tolerance, politeness and mutual respect are at the heart of our aims and ethos.

Our central aim of Dream it, Learn it, Live it drives us towards ensuring that our pupils are confident and resilient and able to live and work alongside people from all backgrounds and cultures. This will be particularly necessary in a future where due to technological advances will make the world a smaller place.

Our pupils know and understand that it is expected that respect is shown to everyone and to everything, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect.