| British Values |
At Holy Family, We recognise the multi-cultural, multi faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world. We encourage our children to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world.
We follow equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar.
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.
The five British Values are:
• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
We use strategies within the National curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students. The examples that follow show some of the many ways Holy Family seeks to embed British values.
Democracy
The principle of democracy is consistently being reinforced at Holy Family with democratic processes being used for important decisions within the school community, for instance, elections being held for School Council positions. The principle of democracy is also explored in the History and Religious Studies curriculum as well as in PSHE and assemblies.
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 Holy Family.
Pupils are taught the value and the reasons behind laws that 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 reinforce this message.
Pupils are always helped to distinguish right from wrong. The Behaviour Policy sets out a zero tolerance approach to any form of aggression, abuse or violence.
Individual Liberty
Pupils are actively encouraged to make independent choices, with the knowledge that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Staff at Holy Family educate and provide boundaries for pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education.
Mutual Respect
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 e-safety and circle time and PSHE work.
Vulnerable pupils are protected and there is a strong Anti-bullying culture at the school. We have Anti-bullying themed weeks and all staff and pupils take an active part in this. The school operates a robust policy of logging incidents through Cpoms. Pupils have key roles and responsibilities within school – e.g. School Council, Eco Committee, Buddy system and Mini Police. We actively encourage the children to discuss how we can demonstrate mutual respect during our Class Worships and assemblies.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths
While it is our primary intention to show children how to develop their own spirituality and their relationship with God, we also explore the teachings and philosophies of other world faiths. Children understand the need for tolerance in all aspects of life and we always seek to find similarities rather than differences through the teaching of different faiths and cultures. Religious Education lessons and PSHE lessons reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others. We also explore the diversity in our school community. Children of different faiths and religions are also encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within our classes and the school.