British Values at St Augustine's
At St Augustine's Catholic Primary School, a key part of our plan for education has always been to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. It is the intention of the whole school community to nurture a loving, caring, supportive environment in which every child has the opportunity to develop Spiritually, Morally, Intellectually, Socially and Emotionally in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.
We recognise that the teachings and ideals of Christ, given to us through His Word and His Body, walk hand in hand with our British values, bringing: Love and Solidarity, Truth and Justice, Purity and Holiness, Dignity and Compassion and Tolerance and Peace. We teach the importance of ‘British Values’ by delving deeper into the meaning of what it means to live a good life, within a framework of Gospel Values. At St Augustine's, we are guided by our mission statement which best describes the ethos of our school:
Together, guided by Christian values of humility, forgiveness, compassion, kindness, justice, integrity, peace and courage, we reflect on our place and purpose in the world. We simultaneously celebrate individuality and difference within our communities and share the calling to work for the Common Good, in the service of others.
We have a duty to actively promote the fundamental British Values of:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
We promote British Values within school in the following ways:
Democracy :
- By Providing pupils with a broad general knowledge and promote respect for, public institutions and services
- Teaching pupils how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process
- Encouraging pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in school - this is achieved through our Mission Statement, pastoral provision and School Council
- Holding class debates and helping pupils to express their views
- Enabling pupils to have their voices heard through our School Council and pupil discussions
Rule of law
- By ensuring excellent behaviour is an absolute priority
- Ensuring school rules and expectations are clear and fair
- Ensuring pupils recognise they are ambassadors for the school when representing the school outside e.g. educational visits and sporting events.
- Helping pupils to respect the law and understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals
- Developing restorative justice approach to resolve conflicts
- Arranging safety visits e.g. road safety, fire safety, police, online safety
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced on a daily basis, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies.
Individual liberty
- By ensuring St. Augustine's is a safe place for children and nurtures an atmosphere in which pupils can make choices about school life in a supportive environment
- Supporting pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
- Ensuring pupils take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights
- Encouraging freedom of speech through pupil participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable pupils and promoting critical analysis of evidence
- Challenging stereotypes
- Implementing a strong anti-bullying culture
- Choosing learning challenges/activities
- Taking part in enrichment clubs
- Through marking and feedback pupils know their successes and what the next steps are for learning
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 pupils to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example, through our Online Safety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual respect and tolerance of others
- Promoting respect of individual differences
- Celebration/learning powers Assembly
- Helping pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and way of life
- Challenging prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
- Organising visits to places of worship
- Ensuring children of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school
- By Developing links with other faith communities
- Discussing differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, and gender and differences of family situations, such as young carers
- At St Augustine's we actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to the values we hold as a school, including 'extremist' views.
Throughout the year we have found many ways to celebrate British Values and promote the above values through our work, through specially planned activities and celebratory days, and with visitors to our school.
