FUNDAMENTAL BRITISH VALUES

Wilshere- Dacre Junior Academy promotes the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

All schools must meet the requirement set out in section 78 of the Education Act 2002 and promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of their pupils. Through ensuring pupils’ SMSC development, our school can actively demonstrate we are promoting fundamental British Values. Wilshere-Dacre Junior Academy takes this very seriously in both helping to shape the curriculum and the experiences offered to its pupils.

Through our provision of SMSC, we actively seek (age-appropriate) to:

• enable children to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
• enable our children to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
• encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
• enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England;
• further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling our pupils to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
• encourage respect for other people; and
• encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.
• encourage respect for other people; and
• encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

The list below describes the understanding and knowledge expected of our pupils as a result of promoting fundamental British values:

• an understanding of how as citizens we can influence decision-making through the democratic process (e.g. Election and working of the School Council and Eco Council);
• an application that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety (Understanding roles in society – e.g. the work of police officers);
• an understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence;
• an understanding that the freedom to choose and hold others faiths and beliefs is protected in law;
• an acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour;
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.

Examples of actions that we take:

Democracy

• We have a democratically elected Eco- council that meets weekly. The children discuss ways of improving the Eco-Friendliness of the school and they make practical suggestion as how to do so.
• Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our Eco-Council.

The Rule of Law:

• The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies.
• 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; Fire Service; help reinforce this message.
• Year 6 learn about the laws of the road through ‘Bike Ability’

Individual Liberty:

• Within school, the children are actively encouraged to make wise 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 of provision of a safe environment and 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 our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it is through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Mutual Respect:

• Part of our school ethos and learning dispositions revolves around our core values such as ‘Respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown.
• Displays around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy and assemblies.
• We actively promote respect for our school and local environment.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

• This is achieved through the enhancement of children’s’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity.
• Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying are followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE.
• We use whole school assemblies as a chance to introduce the children to a range of different celebrations and religious festivals e.g. Chinese New Year, Christmas, Easter, Diwali, Eid etc.
• Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school.
• We take part in annual Poppy Day commemorations where children have made poppies and a minute’s silence is held in special assemblies for the school.