Fundamental British Values
Promoting British Values at Boughton Heath Academy
At Boughton Heath we actively 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 throughout school and the curriculum. We want to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. Throughout their time at Boughton Heath Academy, we educate children so they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
British values are promoted in so much of what we do, not least during our School Assemblies, Religious Education PSHE/Jigsaw sessions and across the wider curriculum.
At Boughton Heath Academy these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
Democracy
Each year the children decide upon their class rules. All the children contribute to the drawing up of the rules. We have a school council. Every child on the student council is voted in by their class. The School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. 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. We encourage pupils to take ownership of not only their school but also of their own learning and progress. This encourages a heightened sense of both personal and social responsibility and is demonstrated on a daily basis by our pupils. Children have an opportunity to be listened to and express their own opinions about school life through pupil voice. Our sports ambassadors and playleaders consult with all children to select activities and agree rules to provide a timetable of activities during break times and lunch times.
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 Boughton Heath Academy. 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. These values are reinforced in different ways:
- visits from authorities such as the police and fire service
- during Religious Education, when rules for particular faiths are thought about
- our Junior Safety officers lead pupil voice and information on safety within school in particular road safety, personal safety and community safety.
- during other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules – for example in a sports lesson.
- During sporting competitions and tournaments with other local schools
Individual Liberty
At Boughton Heath Academy, 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 through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the heart of our school’s values. 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. Children are encouraged to show respectful behaviour to each other, staff and members of the community.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
We seek to ensure that our curriculum allows children to understand more about the religions, culture and history of our local area and our country. We develop links with the wider world and aim to ensure that children are also able to see the importance of their place in the wider community. Opportunities for this are seen across our Religious Education, English, History, Art, Music and Geography lessons in addition to assemblies and our Jigsaw PSHE lessons.
Jigsaw PSHE
Our PSHE programme, Jigsaw, covers British Values in every single lesson. Jigsaw lessons are mapped against the fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. All jigsaw lessons contribute to one of more of these values in some way which allows dedicated time for children to learn, discuss and explore British Values in detail. Examples are, the ‘Being Me in My World’ Puzzle covers most of the values whereas the ‘Healthy Me’ Puzzle provides ample opportunities for learning about mutual respect, individual liberty and the rule of law. See the document below to see how British Values are mapped across the Jigsaw PSHE lessons.