British Values

Promoting British Values at St Luke’s

We aim to promote SMSC and British Values across every aspect of our curriculum and throughout the wider school life.

What are British values?

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith

Democracy

Democracy is promoted all throughout the school at an appropriate level.  Pupils are always listened to, and children are taught to respect the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. All classes, from Y1 upwards, have a suggestion box in which children can anonymously suggest ideas, as well as more formal ‘Pupil Voice’ monitoring which is conducted regularly by phase group leaders.  Pupils also contribute to their own class rules to give them a better understanding of the part they can play in decision making. We have an active school council and Eco council, the members of which are voted for by their classmates.  The councillors are responsible for listening to their peers and raising any issues at council meetings; making decisions on how to spend School Fund money; creating action plans to tackle problems like litter; organising fundraising and charity days as well as helping the school to be ‘greener’ and more energy efficient.  Throughout the recent EU referendum and US presidential election, the children were encouraged to do their own research on the hot topics and discuss their own views with the class. The democratic process is also promoted through our debate sessions and debate across the curriculum. Our Year 6 pupils are currently enjoying the ‘Debate Mate’ after-school club which is teaching them key speaking and listening skills as well as the confidence to engage with issues faced by communities and the wider world. 

The rule of law

The importance of following rules, both the school rules and the law of the land, is consistently reinforced throughout school life. Our school behaviour policy has expectations for behaviour which the children are expected to adhere to as well as clear rewards and sanctions.  The children are taught the reason for rules and explore the value of them for themselves through PHSCE lessons and in debate sessions. Our pupils accept responsibility for their actions and are encouraged to tell the truth at all times.  The basis of forming rules is also explored through Maths and Science lessons as well as discussing laws in history and RE.  We have excellent links with our local PCSO who is a regular presence in school, talking to children and parents about any concerns in our local community.

Individual liberty

Freedom of choice is highly valued and celebrated and we provide a secure environment with boundaries to empower children to make responsible choices.  At St Luke’s we teach children how to make safe choices online through e-safety lessons in PHSCE and ICT as well as in real life, through discussions about who are the adults we can trust.  The children are taught to always tell an adult if they feel that something is wrong and ask for help and advice whenever needed. Children are also encouraged to make their own choices about extra-curricular activities and child-led learning activities.

Mutual respect

The first aim of our behaviour and discipline policy reads, “‘It is a primary aim of our school that every member of the school community feels valued and respected, and that each person is treated fairly and well. We are a caring community, whose values are built on mutual trust and respect for all. The school’s behaviour policy is therefore designed to support the way in which all members of the school can live and work together in a supportive way. It aims to promote an environment where everyone feels happy, safe and secure.”

We value and actively promote the benefits of living in a diverse society through celebration of different cultural and religious celebrations throughout the year.  All pupils in KS2 attend our annual residential trips to the Peak District which builds up their resilience and creates shared experiences for the children in order to foster a real sense of community within our school.  We invite in guests from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and have worked hard to forge international links with schools in China and Australia.  Through RE, children learn about other faiths and we encourage the children to reflect on their own spirituality through collective worship.