Promoting Fundamental British Values

In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in schools to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. 
Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance, and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

The Key Values are:

•    democracy
•    rule of law
•    individual liberty
•    mutual respect
•    tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs 

The DfE have reinforced 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.”

The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values have been reiterated this year (2014). At Hawbush Primary these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Democracy

We have a School Council which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class and Senior Leadership meetings. The School Council is able to effect change within the school. Pupils are democratically elected to the School Council by their peers. Through our curriculum, children are taught about, and encouraged to respect public institutions and services.

Children have an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school.

Pupils are selected at random for pupil interview meetings with members of the Senior Leadership Team/ Subject Leaders, to seek their views and opinions on a range of school and community issues.

All parents and carers are encouraged to make comments on learning at Hawbush through our open door policy and completing questionnaires.

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 Hawbush.

Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school. Class rules are negotiated and signed up to by the class. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and 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 help reinforce this message.

Individual Liberty

At Hawbush, 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 informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our eSafety and PSHE work.

Hawbush Primary is registered with UNICEF and are working towards achieving the Rights Respecting School Award.

Hawbush Primary has a robust anti bullying culture, with behaviour and safety policies in place.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children 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. Differences between people such as faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations are discussed through the PSHE and Rights respecting programmes taught in school.

Hawbush Primary provides opportunities for the children to visit places of significant cultural interest and places of worship.  We actively encourage visitors from a range of communities and organisations into school.

The school sponsors Bintou, a child in Senegal, Africa. Members of the School Council organise fund raising events in order to fund the sponsorship.

At Hawbush Primary we actively challenge pupils, staff  and parents to express opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views.