British Values at Swan Lane
British Values are met through the general requirement in the Education Act 2002, that…
“Through ensuring pupils’ SMSC development, schools can also demonstrate they are actively promoting fundamental British Values.”
British Values is divided into four sections:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Below we will demonstrate how we cover each of these four areas at Swan Lane First School.
Democracy
Head Boy and Head Girl
Every year, we appoint a Year 5 boy and girl to carry out the role of Head Boy and Head Girl. Candidates wishing to apply for the post have to explain why they think they would be suitable for the job. The Year 5 teachers explore with the children what skills they would need to be considered as a suitable candidate. It is then down to Mrs Pearce-King and the teachers to select who they think would be the best people for the job based on their application. Head Boy and Head Girl take on a very active part in the running of the school.
School Council
Each of the children appointed to the School Council have to apply for their position. There are 12 members plus the Head Boy and Girl. Each of the 12 members are assigned to one of the 12 classes and are their class representative on the School Council. They visit the class regularly to seek the views of the children and discuss anything they would like to put forward at the next School Council meeting. Any suggestions for improvements or any ideas raised are then taken to the SLT meeting by Mr Forrester to be discussed further. Governors also regular meet with the School Council to take suggestions and ideas forward to the full Governors Meeting. For more info about our school council visit our School Council Page here.
Assemblies and Pupil Voice
School council members are encouraged to lead whole school assemblies. Ideas are put forward and a vote takes place to decide on a topic for the assembly. They then set about creating a PowerPoint to help them present their ideas to the rest of the school.
Parents Evening
The members of the School Council take an active part in Parents Evenings. They greet parents in the foyer and then escort them to the classrooms for their meetings.
Learning Walks and Book Trawls
The School Council regularly carry out Book Trawls and Learning Walks. They discuss their findings from these events in their School Council Meetings and then feedback to the SLT.
The School Council in the Community
Operation Christmas Child
The School Council with help from Mr Forrester organise the collection of shoe boxes in aid of Operation Christmas Child. The boxes are then collected and distributed to disadvantaged children around the world.
Remembrance Service
The children attend a Battle of Britain Remembrance Service at the local cemetery.
Local MP Visit
The School Council have had the opportunity of meeting with Nigel Huddleston (local Conservative MP) and interviewing him about his role in local and national politics.
Houses of Parliament
The School Council have also enjoyed the wonderful opportunity of visiting the Houses of Parliament. Not only did they enjoy a tour of Parliament where they participated in a mock debate but also enjoyed a guided tour of London via the Duck Tour on both land and river.
PSHE
PSHE lessons provide children with the opportunity to explore their ideas on a given topic and share them with others. It is a vital learning opportunity whereby teachers ensure that individual points of view are listened to and the children are taught to respect the views of others.
Parliament Week
During Parliament Week, each class participates in a variety of different activities. It provides a valuable opportunity to learn about how democracy operates in this country. Some classes engage in secret ballots to vote on a particular issue or idea and others hold mock-debates.
Rule of Law
Understanding and exploring rules and codes of behaviour and involving pupils in writing rules
At the start of each school year, each class discuss why rules are important and how they facilitate an effective classroom environment. We believe that involving the children in constructing any classroom rules and ensuring that they are active participants in creating these rules is very important to ensure that they feel they have ownership over them. These rules obviously relate and build on our wider school rules and reinforce the importance of rules and laws operating within our school community and within society as a whole.
Visits from police
We are fortunate to receive regular visits from our local PCSOs who deliver whole-school assemblies as well as visiting some of the classes to support the learning that is taking place.
Visiting courts and learning about how they work
The School Council members visit our local council chambers in Evesham and meet the mayor. This provides an opportunity to compare the work of the School Council with that of the local council.
Individual Liberty
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PSHE lessons and Self Confidence The Jigsaw Programme is the scheme of work we use to deliver PSHE. It provides lots of opportunities to cover this area of British Values. Children are continually encouraged to consider and express their thoughts and feelings on a variety of different topics. As a result of this, they recognise the worth of their opinions and become more confident in sharing them. |
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Learning about rights and personal freedoms: as well as struggles for liberty and freedom As a whole school we learn about the NSPCC ‘Let’s talk PANTS’ initiative and what PANTS stands for. The idea behind this concept is teaching children the important message that their body belongs to them and that they should always talk to an adult if something is bothering them. |
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Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Children show understanding and appreciation of a range of different faiths, beliefs and cultures within school and further afield as preparation for life in modern Britain.
RE curriculum
The RE curriculum provides opportunities for the children to learn about different faiths and beliefs and therefore the children are able to make comparisons about the similarities and differences between these major world faiths.
Foundation Stage
Reception enjoy learning about lots of different religions, cultures and their traditions. They enjoy special days dedicated to support this learning e.g Diwali Day where they get to make some Rangoli patterns, try some delicious Indian food and perform some Indian dancing.
Visits to faith communities and places of worship
The RE Curriculum is enriched by a number of visits to different places of worship including All Saints Church here in Evesham, as well as travelling further afield to visit a mosque, a synagogue and a Hindu temple.
