British Values at Reedley

At Reedley Primary School we uphold and teach pupils about British values which are defined as:

• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.

These values are taught explicitly through the planning and delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum.

Democracy

Democracy is embedded throughout our school curriculum.  Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard.  Pupils also have the opportunity to air their opinions and ideas through our School Council and regular pupil questionnaires.  The elections of the School Council members are based solely on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action.

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 Reedley. Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school.

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 Reedley, 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 lessons. They also understand that with rights come responsibilities.

Mutual Respect

Respect and responsibility are key values that permeate all aspects of school life at Reedley.  They are fundamental to the way we support and care for each other, for the community and for the environment.

At Reedley, we value the close, positive relationships between all adults and children and see this as being key to enabling all children to access their learning in a welcoming and safe environment.  Assemblies regularly cover the theme of ‘respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions related to what this means and how we show it.  Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others.  All members of the school community treat each other with respect.

When a child does well, their achievement is displayed for everyone to learn from their positive attitude and hard work.  Learning and effort are highly respected and the whole school is focused on developing a great sense of worth and achievement.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.

This is achieved though equipping students 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. Pupils are actively encouraged to share their faith and beliefs within the school and celebrate festivals throughout the calendar year. The Religious Education curriculum, which is compulsory for all students, provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures.  Our assembly programme actively celebrates a variety of faiths and beliefs and aims to educate our children about people with different views and beliefs, promoting tolerance, understanding and respect, as well as the joy and richness of experience that comes from living in a multi-cultural society.

Reedley strives to ensure that our pupils leave with the strongest foundation of values upon which to build a successful life and to make a positive and meaningful contribution to our society, through positive expression of the values of democracy, tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs, individual liberty, the rule of law and mutual respect.