Promoting Fundamental British Values at Colmers Farm Primary School

In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in our school to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

The Key British Values are:

• democracy
• rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

How this is done at Colmers Farm Primary School:

We help children to remember the British Values through the thumb and finger model

Thumb – Democracy – up or down to give opinion.

Index finger – Rule of Law - pointing 

Middle finger – Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs – tallest finger pointing to God.

Ring Finger – Mutual respect – wedding ring – respect for other people

Little finger – Individual Liberty – sticks out on its own. 

We actively promote British values through

Focusing on and showing how the school’s work is effective in securing these values

Challenging pupils, staff, visitors or parents who express opinions contrary to British values

Democracy – what do we do?

• Class voting for the election of school councillors at the start of the year;
• Annual school wide campaign and election for our head boy/girl;
• Provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services;
• Teach pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process;
• Taught through assemblies and our school curriculum;
• Teach a dedicated topic on the civil rights movement (protests and politics) in Year 5 
• Encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school;
• Help pupils to express their views;
• Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged;
• Pupils vote as to which after schools we should provide;
• KS2 workshops provided by the Houses of Parliament Education Team (including a question and answer session with our MP);
• School council annually visit the Houses of Parliament.

Rule of law – what do we do?

• Ensure school rules and expectations are clear and fair;
• Class rules and celebration of adhering to these rules;
• Help pupils to distinguish right from wrong;
• Help pupils to respect the law and the basis on which it is made;
• Help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals;
• Explore within our Personal Development Lessons laws and what to do if peer pressure is trying to persuade children to break these;
• Promote the Rights Respecting School Articles (on policies, around school, in assemblies etc);
• Refer to the Equality Act 2010 as part of our No Outsiders Scheme;
• Annual visit from police to take about knife crime with Year 6.

Individual liberty – what do we do?

• Support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-confidence;
• Encourage pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights;
• Model freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence
• Challenge stereotypes;
• Implement a strong anti-bullying culture;
• E-Safety units of work are taught throughout school and parents and staff receive training on these.

Mutual Respect and tolerance of different cultures and religions– what do we do?

• Use the No Outsiders scheme within our Personal Development lessons and through assemblies to explore the protected characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act to promote respect for individual differences and to actively challenge stereotypes;
• Use No Outsiders assemblies to explore critical news events (e.g. terrorist attacks, Black Lives Matter etc);
• Explore positive role models (where possible) through our topics who reflect the protected characteristics of the 2010 Equality Act;
• Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour;
• Organise visits to places of worship (one annually per year group);
• Years groups perform a celebration assembly for Diwali, Eid and Christmas;
• Our RE scheme ensures that our children have a good understanding of a range of religious beliefs and customs;
• Help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life;
• Use of oracy hand gesture to disagree in a respectful way with the answers of others whilst in class.