British Values at Christ Church

Preparing Children for life in Modern Britain
The Department of Education have recently reinforced the 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.” Through our new curriculum (see curriculum page), our children have ample opportunity across the School to learn about important British historical events as well as relevant local studies. We work hard to provide the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences that will prepare them for life in Modern Britain. At Christ Church, these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

The Rule of Law:

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at Christ Church. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that these involve and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from the police and fire service as well as our Year 6 attending junior citizen events help to reinforce this message.

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 young pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and clearly articulated choices. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety sessions or through the School Values. Whether it be through choice of challenge in lessons, or how they record responses, or participation in our extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Mutual Respect:

At Christ Church, we teach the children the importance of respecting each other, regardless of age, ability or belief. We teach the children to show courtesy and good manners to adults and each other and reinforce how this contributes towards the quality of life at School and at home. The children are proactive in designing their own learning and understand that the staff team respect them for taking on this responsibility. Assemblies and Collective Worship cover ‘Respect’ and ‘Understanding’. This underpins much of our ethos at Christ Church. Displays and Value Word references around the School promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy. When a child does something well their achievement is celebrated and this provides a positive example for others to aspire to

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. As a Church School, our Vicar plays an integral part in School life and the children see our local Church as ‘their Church’. Our children are also given opportunities to visit other faith centres, such as mosques and synagogues. The School is also looking to develop a link with an Islamic Primary School which will enrich both Schools understandings of each other.