British Values

Promoting British Values at Norwood Primary School

The government set out their definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. These were reinforced in September 2014. These new regulations sit alongside the requirements of the Equalities Act, which also applies to all types of school. It sets out 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.”

At Norwood Primary these values are reinforced regularly following the Department for Education’s five-part definition of British values:

• democracy

• the rule of law

• individual liberty

• mutual respect

• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At Norwood Primary and Pre-school, we ensure that through breadth and depth of our curriculum and our school routines, children are given the opportunity to learn about and develop these values that will allow them to live in and be a full part of Modern Britain. Regular theme days throughout the year provide children with the opportunity to explore and develop these values. In particular, we promote British values through the following:

At Norwood Primary school we believe it is important that the children feel part of the school community and that their opinions and ideas are valued. At the start of each year, the children vote for their class School Council representative for that year. Children in Yr 6 also take on roles in a variety of ways as : Young Leaders, School House Captains, Playground Buddies and Tour Guides for visitors.

Pupil voice plays a significant role in the life of Norwood Primary School. Our School Council promotes democracy by ensuring all children have a say on the school issues that matter most and are of most relevance to them. All children in all classes are able to discuss issues raised at school council meetings as well as put forward their own topics for discussion.

Our pupils 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 Norwood Primary, we have 5 golden rules that the children learn and are referred to constantly through both class and whole school assemblies. These rules give the children clear guidance on how to behave to ensure that their class and school is a safe and happy place for children. The understanding of the importance of these rules is consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum. At the start of teach year all children in all classes agree a charter which sets out their rights, and their responsibilities. This teaches the children the importance of agreeing a code of behaviour to ensure that everyone in their class and community can feel safe, happy and achieve to their full potential.

We have regular assemblies about the Golden Rules to promote children’s understanding and social development. 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.

Each class create their own class charter at the start of each new academic year and it is reviewed as the year progresses.. In 2015 we celebrated the anniversary of the signing of the very first charter, the Magna Carta, and how it was instrumental in creating the country’s first ever laws which have continued to govern our country.

Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including police, PCSOs, Hampshire Fire Service and many more. We believe that clear explanations and real life stories emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils.

Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted throughout the year. We know that the work of our school council and the active participation of our pupils will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

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. We use the curriculum and theme days or weeks to encourage children to choose tasks that will challenge them, giving them more freedom to determine their own learning. We also offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests.

Through our E-Safety, our philosophy for learning; to explore, inspire, achieve and flourish , we educate children on their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely. At Norwood we believe that valuing choice and freedom in daily school life will foster a value for individual liberty as the children embark upon their next stage of education at secondary school. Our PSHE curriculum, visits and visitors and workshops on topics such as, bullying and cyber-bullying support our children to stay safe and contribute positively beyond the school environment.

Mutual respect is at the core of our school life. In developing class charters at the beginning of each year, children learn about the importance of respecting each other and the responsibilities they must take on to do this effectively. The children learn to treat each other and staff with great respect. This is evident when walking around Norwood and outside in the wider community. In the Autumn term, children take part in a collaboration week which promotes children’s respect for each other through a variety of team working activities.

We are an inclusive school and through our Young Interpreters, (pupils who have volunteered to help children who have just arrived at the school with none or little English) we ensure that children not only feel welcome in our school but understand the values and ethos of the school. This promotes not only the values of our school but also of the country as a whole, as democracy, tolerance and rule of law are central to the schools’ vision.

Our pupil’s share a growing understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and they have many opportunities to experience diversity. We are proud to be a school of many different heritages. Visitors, parents and pupil members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Our RE curriculum enables our children to learn about different faiths and to share their own.

We encourage our diverse community to work with us in educating our children about different faiths and beliefs. Parents and families regularly offer and are encouraged to take part in our assemblies along with representatives from local churches.

We believe our school to be at the centre of our local community; our vision and values are embodied in celebrations and events such as parent evenings, the school fair, our recent Norwood day celebrations, our charities work and participation in various sporting, academic and artistic events.

Throughout the school year important celebrations in the lives of our children and school community are marked and celebrated together. These include EID, Diwali, Christmas and Easter. At these times the school welcomes in members of the wider school community to lead assemblies and learning activities with the children to share their beliefs with them.

Our timetable of assemblies also ensures that children learn about key events in the British calendar and their importance in their lives, such as Remembrance day, the lives of the school community and also the wider community in Eastleigh and Britain as a whole.

We believe that if our children gain an understanding, knowledge and first -hand experience of other faiths and beliefs it will help them to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens of the future.