Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary School

The Department for Education states that there is a need:
“To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to 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”.

At Pudsey Primrose Hill we actively promote British values in the following ways:

Democracy
Democracy is an important value at our school and our active school council demonstrates this.
All classes, from Year 1 to Year 6, are involved in the school council elections at the beginning of September every year. These elections are given high importance throughout the school community and children are encouraged to nominate themselves to be included in the school council election. Candidates for each class are given the opportunity to speak to their fellow class members, promoting their ideas and intentions should they be successfully voted into office. School Council Election Day is promoted and values throughout school. Classes take turns using the polling station and voting booths to make their choices. The importance of a secret ballot is highlighted. This voting day provides many opportunities for teaching and learning about our country’s democratic system.

Our local Member of Parliament, Stuart Andrew has visited school on a number of occasions to support the work of our school council. He spends time speaking to the members of the school council and explained how he represents our views in the Houses of Parliament in London. Our school has also received letters from other MPs which are always celebrated and displayed to reinforce that our democratic system is relevant to the children in our school.

Our whole school behaviour policy is actively used to influence, reward and acknowledge others’ behaviour. The system is clear and easily understood by all pupils, with every class displaying and using their behaviour chart.
Every class in school devises their own ‘Class Promise’ at the beginning of the new school year. This is an agreement drawn up between all pupils and adults in the class which is signed by everyone.
Pupil Voice questionnaires and surveys are carried out throughout the year to involve pupils and demonstrate that their opinions and ideas are valued.

Rule of Law
The importance of laws and rules, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days. Through PHSE lessons pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws and rules; that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws/rules are broken.
Our school behaviour systems and class promises underpin the whole school rules system. Pupils are actively engaged in the development of these and adults in school ensure pupils understand the expectations for behaviour and that there are clear and appropriate consequences associated.
Our school has clear Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policies which are shared with the whole school community.

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 our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment, a planned curriculum and an empowering education.
Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely. This includes our e-safety teaching and PSHE lessons.
Pupils are given the freedom to make choices, e.g. signing up for extra-curricular clubs, choose the level of challenge in some lessons and are becoming increasingly more involved in child-led learning. Pupils are offered the opportunity to carry out key roles and responsibilities in school e.g. class prefects, lunchtime helpers, play leaders etc.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Our whole school motto ‘Together we can make a Difference’ in association with our behaviour policy and systems encourage and support pupils to know and understand we expected that respect is shown to everyone, adults and children. Pupils are helped to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life through specific teaching and expectations set by all adults in school. Staff and pupils are encouraged to challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
Links and visits are promoted with local faith communities and places of worship. E.g. Members of different faiths or religions are invited to school to share their knowledge and enhance learning within assemblies and in class as well as pupils visiting places of worship as part of their RE curriculum coverage.
Through the PSHE and RE curriculums pupils are encouraged to discuss and respect differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations. We offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected and global dimension work embedded in many of our focus weeks and curriculum planning. Likewise we use opportunities such as the Olympics and World Cup to study and learn about life and culture in countries who participate.