At Staining Primary, British Values are taught throughout our curriculum and in everything we do. It is important that pupils develop their understanding of the community and the wider world through exploring how these values impact upon their’s and others’ lives.
DEMOCRACY
We believe that democracy is a key value at Staining School. Democracy is important to develop the children’s understanding of peoples’ rights in society.
Pupils in our school have the opportunity to have their voice heard. One of the ways in which this opportunity is made available is through our School Council and Ethos Group where each councillor is voted in by the pupils.
Every term, the school council place emphasis on being the voice on behalf of children in school; they collect the views and opinions of others in different ways, for example through completing questionnaires and holding interviews; this gives children the opportunity to put forward their views about the school.
The council meet regularly to discuss any proposals or agendas. The school council creates its own schemes and initiatives and as a group arrange budgets, plan events and make a positive contribution to school life.
At Staining School, there are different responsibilities that children can achieve ranging from lunch time support, playground PALs to book fair attendants and sports leaders. These jobs are roles that children are elected for in our school.
THE RULE OF LAW
The importance of laws (whether they are those that govern the class, the school, or the country) are consistently reinforced at Staining Primary School. Pupils are taught the rules of the school from an early age and that these are founded in our five school values.
Children in each class are given a variety of responsibilities and are encouraged to take care of their environment and to be independent. These responsibilities are chosen by the children at the start of the year.
Throughout the year we have visits from authorities such as the police, fire service, etc, and they help us to reinforce the ethos of our school.
INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
At Staining School, pupils are encouraged to make choices and take risks, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. We aim to develop children’s self-esteem and place importance in developing self-confidence. Pupils are encouraged to understand their personal freedoms and are taught how to use these rights to best effect.
In Reception and Year 1, children are encouraged to be independent through the continuous provision areas. They learn through a curriculum where the child’s interests are at the heart of everything they do. This strand of independence is then developed and nurtured throughout the school in an exciting curriculum where pupils have an individual voice in their development through choosing how they are going to learn.
Children are educated about making informed choices, lifestyles and about their rights and responsibilities. Children regularly have the opportunity to discuss issues as they arise and to reinforce the values of the school. All pupils are keen to support charities, whether local, national or global. They are taught consideration for others through our Religious Education curriculum and PSHE lessons in particular. Online-safety teaching enables them to make choices in a safe manner.
Fantastic relationships are built in school between all stakeholders and are based on trust and respect. Children know that they have somebody to talk to when they need to speak to someone. At lunchtimes, all children are able to make their own choice from the hot school dinner options. They collect their own dinner and tidy away for themselves.
At Staining School, children have the choice to attend different clubs and activities ranging from choir to circuit training, construction to wake n shake, cricket to athletics. Their personal interests, skills and hobbies are promoted and recognised to further encourage their freedom of choice.
MUTUAL RESPECT
Mutual respect is at the heart of Staining Primary School. Our pupils learn respect for each other through the curriculum we offer as well as the daily ethos of the school. At Staining School we constantly promote respect for others and the importance of good manners. All pupils are taught the importance of self-respect, honesty and open communication with others and fair play.
All of our children are members of a house; and they can earn team points to help their team achieve team rewards. They also support their teams at events including inter-house competitions and Sports Days.
Each week, teachers select stars of the week. These are celebrated in a weekly assembly and children take a certificate home. As well as this, postcards are sent home in recognition of different achievements in school and children can earn stickers for impeccable manners and displays of respect around school.
On the playground, we promote respect for children’s different needs and everyone has the choice as to how they spend their time on the playground, for example quiet time on the benches, ball games or structured games organised by pupils or organisations.
In class, children work together in different ways, for example children are often paired up to support each other in reviewing their learning. Children identify what they have done well and then their next steps to improve. Throughout the year we celebrate a range of values that help to develop respect for one another and develop the ethos of the school. As part of our assemblies and worships we think about the identity of our school and what values drive our ethos.
TOLERANCE OF THOSE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS AND BELIEFS
Britain has a diverse ethnic population. We feel it is important to celebrate this through assemblies and the RE curriculum. We follow a varied religious education curriculum that represents the main religions of Britain today. We recognise the main religious festivals throughout the year. Leaders from different faiths are encouraged to come into school to celebrate the beliefs and the customs of different religions and we have close links with the St. Luke’s Church.
We believe that tolerance is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity in our local community which is by large white British.
Assemblies, worships and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. Our Religious Education curriculum provides pupils with a deep understanding and an awareness of the faith and traditions of religious communities as a basis for understanding and respecting them.
We study and learn about life and culture in other countries. We actively promote values, virtues and ethics that shape our pupils’ character and moral perspective.
We are confident that we will give our pupils the necessary awareness of what it means to be a good citizen in Britain today, and embed in them the building blocks of a successful future and a productive life. Through our RE, PSHE and work in other areas of the curriculum, we are able to make real links between the values of our pupils and the lives of others in their community, country and the world in general. Through our Creative Curriculum the children learn about democracy, civic responsibility, rules and laws, the monarchy, equality, values and virtues, environmental awareness and understanding of other faiths.