At St Michael’s Church of England Primary School, we recognise the important role that each child has as a valued citizen within our multi-cultural British society and as a Global citizen. We see that we play a key role in developing our children as good citizens now and in preparing them to be good citizens in their future lives.

We endeavour to demonstrate British values in all that we do and also to teach them explicitly throughout our broad and balanced curriculum. It is also taught explicitly through our SCARF PSHE syllabus. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so that they can grow into secure, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world.

Our school values reflect the British values. They are rooted in our Christian faith and underpin our whole educational ethos.  They are rooted in respect and understanding of others and in building our role as part of our special community.  They play a central role in our daily worship and are lived daily throughout St Michael’s Church of England School. 

Promoting British Values at St Michael’s C of E Primary School

 The DfE direct all school to promote British values

“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.”

Democracy:

The promotion of democracy is extensive within the school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and pupil questionnaires. Children in each class vote for the children they want to represent them on school Council and are invited to apply for a range of other roles in their classes and across the school. Where possible, children are consulted and contribute to the development of some school systems, for example choosing their class reward system. The school council are also involved in appointment of new staff including leaders. 

The Rule of Law:

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school day.  They can also be seen when addressing behaviour, in school worship times and PHSE lessons. 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. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service are part of our school calendar and help reinforce this message.

Individual Liberty:

Within school, 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 choices. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely. For example, in lessons on online safety and on personal touch children are taught that it is right to safeguard themselves and how they may keep themselves safe. Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, for example signing up for extra-curricular clubs, choosing the level of challenge in some lessons and deciding what to present at class assemblies to parents.

Mutual Respect:

As a Christian school, our ethos resonates with respect.  Children are encouraged to show respect to others by turn taking in games, working with talk partners and listening to each other’s opinions in class discussion. We have playground pals to support younger children with how they may be respectful in their play. Our worship team share assemblies across the school on different but valuable lives.  We have theme days or weeks that build a respect for those with particular talents and interests such as our annual Spelling Bee, World Maths Day, arts and science week. The result of our sport fixtures are shared in assemblies as are the endeavours of individual children in pursuits beyond school.  

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Worship times, RE and PHSE lessons celebrate the diversity in the world and also feature discussions involving prejudices and possible impact on intolerance.  In our learning across the whole curriculum there are opportunities to recognise tolerance and intolerance in subjects such as history for example in learning about the plight of a Jewish family during WW2 or in Art lessons, seeing the important contribution to the artworld that an artist with a communication difference can have. 

Provision for Protected Characteristics at St Michael’s C of E Primary School

There are 9 Protected Characteristics

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy and maternity

The equality Act became law in 2010. It covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics: 

The 9 Protected Characteristics are actively promoted in school through:

• Our school Mission
• Our school core values
• Our school behaviour policy
• Conscious role modelling by all adults in the school community
• Active engagement and communication with parents and carers
• Assemblies
• Discussion within curriculum subjects
• Promoting articulation by building appropriate language and a coherent vocabulary
• Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE) sessions
• Religious Education (RE) lessons and RSE lessons
• Sporting, Art and Cultural Events
• Pupil Voice
• Educational visits
• Real-life learning outside the classroom
• Guest speakers
• Developing links with local, national and global communities
• Extra-curricular activities, after-school clubs, charity work and work within the local community
• Actively working with the Mental Health Support Team
• Working with outside agencies to support with Special Educational Needs.
• Identifying and supporting those families who have a need.
• Developing our provision as a healthy school.
• Responding sensitively to the different learning needs of all children.

Embedding Protected Characteristics into the whole ethos of St Michael’s CEP School promotes:

• Self-esteem, self-knowledge and self-confidence
• Respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic process
• Acceptance of responsibility for own behaviour
• Respect for their own and other cultures
• Understanding of how they can contribute positively to school and home life and to the lives of those living and working in the locality and further afield
• An understanding of Equality, Human Rights and Protected Characteristics
• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combating discrimination