British Values

Riverside Primary School is committed to working closely and in harmony with its community and celebrating the diversity of the UK. We aim to prepare children for life in modern Britain and to ensure that our school ethos, curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning reflect and promote British values.

We recognise that these values are not exclusive to being British and that they have come to be accepted throughout the democratic world as the method of creating an orderly society in which individual members can feel safe, valued and can contribute to for the good of themselves and others.

We work alongside our local community and recognise the variety of religious beliefs within it. We take children outside the school to take part in local events and meet different members of the community to appreciate the valuable contributions they make.

We take opportunities to:

acknowledge, celebrate and commemorate national events and anniversaries related to key events in Britain’s past

join in with international sporting events and find out more about the countries that host them

support charities that are selected by the children and arrange fundraising events, through the leadership of the school council

invite members of the local community to our school events.

We understand the role that our school has in helping prevent radicalisation and supporting our children in developing a world view recognising Britain’s place within it. The British values are:

Democracy

The rule of law

Individual liberty

Mutual respect

Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

British Values are reflected in our ethos and are integral to our School Rules, Behaviour Policy and core school values which are adhered by both staff and pupils.

British Values definitions

As a collective, pupils learn about each British Value and so we have pupil-friendly definitions which are:

DEMOCRACY – Using your vote so your voice can be heard. This is applied in everyday lessons as well as making whole school decisions,

THE RULE OF LAW – The law applies to everyone. It is equal and it is fair. We use our school rules as an example as how we adhere to rules and consequences of following them or not.

MUTUAL RESPECT – Treating others how you would want to be treated, even if they have been unkind to you. Having manners and treating others and equipment respectfully and showing a pride in the school community that they are a part of and to feel proud to be surrounded in a caring environment.

TOLERANCE – Making a space for other people’s opinions and beliefs (even if they seem different, odd, wrong or interesting). Knowing that we are all equal but different.

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY – As long as we do not break the law, we have rights and freedoms. We have a choice as to how we learn and can chose a range of resources to help support our learning .

Embedding British Values at Riverside Primary School is an important aspect of everyday school life.

In weekly assemblies, we focus on one of the British Values and this includes making links with SMSC. To ensure the children are always thinking about British Values and how it impacts in their daily life and life outside of school.

Defining spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

The spiritual development of pupils is shown by their:

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values.
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences.

The moral development of pupils is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and to readily apply this understanding in their own lives, recognise legal boundaries and, in so doing, respect the civil and criminal law of England
• understanding of the consequences of their behaviour and actions
• interest in investigating and offering reasoned views about moral and ethical issues and ability to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others on these issues.

The social development of pupils is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, for example working and socialising with other pupils, including those from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
• willingness to participate in a variety of communities and social settings, including by volunteering, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
• acceptance and engagement with the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs; they develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

The cultural development of pupils is shown by their:

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage and those of others
• understanding and appreciation of the range of different cultures within school and further afield as an essential element of their preparation for life in modern Britain
• knowledge of Britain’s democratic parliamentary system and its central role in shaping our history and values, and in continuing to develop Britain
• willingness to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities
• interest in exploring, improving understanding of and showing respect for different faiths and cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their tolerance and attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socioeconomic groups in the local, national and global communities.