British Values

DREAM, BELIEVE, LOVE, WORK, ACHIEVE

British Values

‘Do Everything in Love’

1 Corinthians 16:14

At Bredon Hancock’s Endowed C of E First School we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain. We ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through our Christian Values-based philosophy which infuses the ethos and work of the school. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts and, in particular, our RE and PSHE lessons provide excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding. Children embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives. Their strong-rooted values-based understanding gives them an excellent platform for embracing difference.

Concepts of British Values are visited and revisited throughout the Jigsaw programme so that they are fully embedded in the whole school approach rather than being taught as one-off lessons.

The British Values are promoted through the use of the Jigsaw Learning Charter which is shared at the beginning of every Jigsaw PSHE lesson. The Learning Charter is child-centred and aims to encourage children to work together and follow a set of ‘ground rules’ to create a safe, positive learning environment. The behaviours of the Jigsaw Learning Charter are reflected in the whole-school vision  and developed in the first puzzle of the year (Being Me in My World), and will consequently permeate the school community, supporting children as they grow and learn. 

Democracy

The principle of democracy is consistently being reinforced at Bredon Hancock’s C of E First School, with democratic processes being used for important decisions within the school community, for instance, elections being held for school responsibilities, Eco Leaders, Worship Ambassadors and School Council Representatives.

The principle of democracy is also explored within the curriculum as well as during collective worship and as a fundamental part of day to day life within the first few years of school; children vote for books, games and class decisions daily within Reception and Year 1. The ability to communicate is one of the most important areas of learning.

At Bredon we ensure that pupils are given a ‘voice’ to communicate.  Children have lots of opportunities for their voices to be heard through whole class, group or paired discussions. The method of using this ‘voice’ could be using words, objects, photographs, pictures, symbols, touch cues, eye pointing or body language. . The Jigsaw Learning Charter aims to ensure that all lessons establish a safe learning environment. The ‘ground rules’ of the Learning Charter invite children to sign and agree to try and stick to the rules during all Jigsaw lessons. It encourages children (and adults alike) to listen carefully to one another, and respect the right of others whilst having opportunities to have their own opinions and voices heard. We empower our pupils by giving them opportunities to make choices about the things that they believe to be important. By valuing each ‘voice’ and by listening and responding to that voice we demonstrate that we support democracy and liberty. 

The rule of law

Establishing a safe, comfortable environment for all children (and adults) to learn in is paramount so the importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at Bredon Hancock’s C of E First School. We involve pupils in setting codes of behaviour; helping them to make the right decisions and choices. We encourage children to take responsibility for their actions and the impact they might have on others and how actions do have consequences. This type of environment enables pupils to feel safe and secure and provides a positive learning environment.

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. There are lots of opportunities throughout all age groups to explore making positive choices as well as how this balances with consequences. Making positive behavioural choices is explored through class, partner and group discussions. Visits from authorities such as the Police and other professionals reinforce this message.

Children are taught the rules and expectations of the school which are highlighted by the Rainbow Colour Code of Conduct. These are chosen together during morning worship and are agreed by everyone.

Individual liberty

Pupils at Bredon Hancock's are encouraged to become good and valued citizens. We do this by supporting each pupil to become as independent as possible. We endeavour to demonstrate that everyone has rights; this includes the right to say ‘No’ when appropriate.

Staff at Bredon Hancock’s educate and provide boundaries for pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education.  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 work.

Bredon Hancock’s C of E First School has a robust anti-bullying culture and has in place a comprehensive Behaviour and Relationships Policy.  Some pupils will be able to take responsibility for particular roles and are taught to understand that with certain rights comes a level of responsibility. Learning to do things independently is an important part of learning to understand yourself.

At Bredon Hancock's, pupils are actively encouraged to make independent choices, with the knowledge that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. We believe that by engendering a caring and helpful environment and by learning to be independent can boost and nurture a healthy self-esteem.

We support others by participating in local community events and charitable events such as, MacMillan Coffee Morning, Red Nose Day/Comic Relief, and Children in Need.

We all work together to become Courageous Advocates and become the best person that we can be.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

This is achieved through equipping pupils with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving the opportunities to experience such diversity within the school community. We place great emphasis on providing experiences and participation in events and celebrations which broaden all pupils’ experiences and awareness of others so that they understand everyone should be respected and valued equally, irrespective of their ability, gender, faith, heritage or race. 

In Jigsaw, the Celebrating Difference puzzle specifically looks at how we might differ in many ways, but that there are human and spiritual elements in us all where we can find a connection and empathy with each other, no matter how much the world might find difference a cause for conflict. Jigsaw aims to go beyond ‘tolerance’ to help children ‘celebrate difference’, their own individuality and that of others. The children learn to be interested in what makes us all unique from as young as 4 years old and this includes the way we embody our beliefs, feelings and values. For children 7 years and over, elements of the Equality Act are examined within this puzzle which again ensures that the faiths, feelings and values of others are respected.

Pupils benefit from learning about a range of festivals from a wide range of religions and faiths throughout the academic year; learning traditions, similarities and differences between celebrations. The Religious Education curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures. Trips to different places of worship, and indeed more culturally diverse settings are arranged by teachers to allow the children to develop their tolerance by immersing them in a range of different environments.  The staff work closely with parents, carers and other professionals to ensure that our pupils have the skills to live a fulfilling life as part of their community.

Mutual Respect

We promote each pupil’s inclusion, where possible, in a range of activities, settings and locations. Every member of the school community is valued and we treasure everyone's uniqueness. Respect is a strong part of Bredon Hancock’s and is part of our Christian Vision. Pupils learn that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect and this is reiterated through our teaching and learning environments. Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum by providing the opportunity for pupils to express their views in a safe environment; valuing the views of others and knowing that their views will be valued too.

One of the key aspects of our Jigsaw curriculum is how we enable and teach children to have respectful discussions on sensitive subjects. We aim, through Jigsaw, to provide a safe learning environment. As children get older they build on previous knowledge and skills to develop their ability to listen to others respectfully, debate other people’s views and consider ways that we can be accepting of those who may be different to ourselves. Even in lessons where different points of view are encouraged, and issues may be debated, the Learning Charter is always revisited and its expectations reinforced. This ensures that children feel enabled to freely express their faith, feelings and values in an environment of mutual respect.

We recognise that the development of British Values works hand in hand with our development of character and is most successful when those values and attitudes are promoted by all staff and provide a model of behaviour for our pupils.