Promoting British Values

At Bedford Drive Primary we aim for all children to grow, learn and flourish academically and, as part of their wider education, to be contributing members of society. Our role is to ensure that we promote and reinforce British values to our children.

 The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and considered them to be:

·         democracy

·         rule of law

·         individual liberty

·         mutual respect

·         tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At our school these values are reinforced as part of school life in the following ways:

Democracy

At Bedford Drive Primary, the principle of democracy is reinforced through democratic decision-making by the children.  Each year the children decide upon their class charter. All the children contribute to the drawing up of the charter.  Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We have a school council which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class. All the council members for each year group are voted in by their class. Each year the year 6 children are given the opportunity to be a Pupil Ambassador. They will present a speech to the other pupils and a vote takes place to select the Pupil Ambassador team.

The Rule of Law

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced as part of the expectations at Bedford Drive. Our school rules - Ready, Respectful, Safe - are visible in every classroom and are used to promote appropriate behaviour. 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. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message.

Individual Liberty

Within school, 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 choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and 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 E-Safety, RSHE and PSHE curriculum. 

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. At Bedford Drive, 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. Pupils are given opportunities to help them understand and respect the community around them. Through our behaviour policy, pupils are supported to show respect to our school and everybody in it. Guided reflections and restorative conversations help pupils to repair situations when they make mistakes, and help them to become respectful people.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Bedford Drive is situated in an area which is not culturally diverse, therefore we place a great emphasis on promoting diversity with the children. Assemblies are regularly planned to address this issue either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures.

Our RE, PSHE and SMSC teaching reinforce this. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school.

At Bedford Drive we will actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views.