At St John’s Primary School, we develop and promote British Values throughout our school and within our curriculum. We promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of all of our pupils and prepare our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.

Our school takes the opportunity to actively promote British Values through daily worships where a range of British Values are explored. Children learn from the world around us through Picture News which provides thought-provoking questions around current news stories and helps them to develop respect for other’s beliefs, feelings and faiths.

Democracy

As a school we ensure that all pupils have a voice that is listened to, and demonstrate how democracy works by actively promoting democratic processes such as a school council whose members are voted for by the pupils. We also have our eco-reps, sports reps and worship team who meet regularly to discuss important matters and have opportunities to feedback to their class peers so that all pupils are able to make suggestions and a continuous dialogue between representatives and teaching leads can take place.

Another example of pupil voice are questionnaires and surveys which take place throughout the year, where children are able to reflect and respond on the teaching and learning they receive as well as make suggestions to improve their experiences.

The Rule of Law

The importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced consistently. At the start of the school year, each class thinks carefully about school rules and class routines. Pupils discuss principles that are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. This is then fed back through the school council to create a whole school learning charter. The

learning charter is displayed in each class and these rules play a fundamental role in our behaviour sanctions and rewards system throughout the year.

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. These values are reinforced through visits from our local police and fire services, internet safety days and rules of social media, as well as curriculum links to crime and punishment.

 

Individual Liberty

At St John’s we actively promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. We provide a safe, supportive environment, with boundaries that allow our pupils to make choices safely. Pupils have the opportunity to exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to do this safely through our Jigsaw PSHE lessons. We teach our pupils to manage and understand their emotions in order for them to be successful learners, work cooperatively, be resilient and stand up for their rights and the rights of others.

Pupils are given opportunities to choose their level of challenge during a lesson, giving them ownership of their learning. We also offer a range of extra-curricular clubs, which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their skills and interests. Pupils in Upper Key Stage 2 are encouraged to take on more responsibility, reinforcing the importance of playground rules and demonstrating positive playtime choices during lunchtimes; as well as providing support to resolve conflicts and restore relationships.

We also have our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors who look out for those who may need support and can provide a listening ear. They promote a culture of positive behaviour and zero tolerance on bullying.

 

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the core of our school life at St John’s. We have high expectations of achievement and behaviour. Children learn to treat their peers and staff with great respect and know that all members of our school family are treated equally. We teach the children that they will always be listened to and that conflict will be dealt with calmly and fairly. We celebrate each other’s achievements through our weekly celebration worship. Our older children are given key roles and responsibilities to work alongside younger children such as Writing Ambassadors, helping to promote mutual respect across the age phases.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At St John’s we are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs through our RE curriculum. Children learn about different religions and gain an understanding and respect for cultures, beliefs, opinions and traditions. They also have the opportunity to visit places of worship that are important in different faiths.

Our daily worship reflects and teaches the children tolerance for different faiths and beliefs, recognising special occasions across religions. We use opportunities from Picture News and events from around the world to help children study and learn about life and cultures in different countries.

Throughout the school year, we look in detail at events and festivals to gain a deeper understanding of different religions.