British Values in Pentland Primary School are defined as:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
Children have planned opportunities to explore and learn about British Values during all aspects of the curriculum – including collective worship, when learning about significant current national or international events; or reflecting on world events, national commemorations and achievements by British citizens.
Democracy:
Classes are represented by their School Council members, who regularly seek their views. Children are consulted on decisions taken in school through the School Council and are encouraged to be independent and to give their views whether this is within learning or about aspects of school which involve them.
Examples are:
Involvement in selecting resources – books for reading areas, books to read within reading groups, selecting resources to use in their work.
Involved in decisions on how to celebrate and mark events within school.
Voting to elect members of the school council / RRS steering group.
The Rule of Law
At the start of every school year, each class reviews their understanding of the school rules. There is discussion of what the adult’s and children’s roles are in adhering to them and keeping each other safe. This includes lunchtimes. The School Rules support good behaviour. Children are rewarded for good or outstanding behaviour within class and in assemblies.
Inappropriate behaviour is discussed with children and/or parents and there is a staged response to incidents.
There are opportunities to work with professionals from the police and other community services for older children.
Individual Liberty
Children are encouraged to become independent, confident, self-regulating learners through the curriculum, through voicing their opinions, through the use of the school and class charters.
They are taught how to keep themselves safe and to stand up for the rights of themselves and others, as well as learning about the lives of others whose rights are not met because of bullying, racism or a lack of freedom.
Examples are:
Opportunities to say what they think and contribute to decisions within class and school.
Opportunities to contribute to plans they have e.g. Child Protection, Personal Education Plans, Individual Education Plans.
Opportunities to improve their own learning based on assessment prompts and to judge how well they have done using success criteria and individual targets.
Learning about safety, anti-bullying and how to keep themselves safe.
Reflecting on the rights of others within history work, geography, science, in stories and through global learning.
Mutual Respect
Pentland Primary School has extremely high expectations of children’s behaviour towards others and mutual respect is at the heart of this. Children are vehemently articulate when they feel this is not happening in their school.
Children are taught that every individual will get the support they need to participate and succeed within school and that this means different things may be provided for different people.
Children and families are treated with respect by the adults who work with them. We listen to them and take their views into consideration.
Any discriminatory or prejudiced behaviour is taken very seriously, challenged and recorded.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
Although Pentland does not have children from a wide variety of backgrounds, every child is an important person in our school. Through Religious Education children learn about the beliefs and practices of different faiths and this learning is reinforced through texts shared and through discussion in other areas of the curriculum.
A range of festivals are celebrated within school and religious absences are respected.
Children understand that derogatory comments are not tolerated and will be dealt with promptly.
