British Values
At Gayton Primary School we uphold, promote, teach and reinforce the following fundamental British Values:
- Democracy
- Rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
These values are embedded throughout all aspects of our broad and balanced curriculum. They are actively promoted through daily assemblies and collective acts of worship and are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health Education (PSHE) and Religious Education (RE) lessons.
Through our assemblies, we have also introduced a resource called 'Picture News'. Every week the children are introduced to a current news story through the use of an image and a thought-provoking question. These resources further allow us to embed the teaching of the British Values into the curriculum.
Below you can click on a document which shows the British Values that have been explicity taught through use of Picture News. This document will be updated on a half termly basis.
Democracy:
Democracy is an important value at our school and is one of our three curriculum drivers. Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. Pupils have the opportunity to air their thoughts and ideas through our 2 councils: School Council and Eco Council and through regular questionnaires and surveys. The School Councillors and Eco Councillors are appointed through a pupil/peer voting system, reflecting our current British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action.
The Rule of Law:
The importance of laws and rules, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day. Our school's 'Golden Rules', the 'Good To Be Green' behaviour system and the wealth of award and reward systems we adopt ensure that every child is able to learn in a safe and secure environment. Our pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
Individual Liberty :
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they can do so in a safe and supportive environment. We educate and provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering curriculum. Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely through PSHE lessons and through specific themed weeks e.g. E-Safety Week. Our pupils are given the freedom to make choices e.g. signing up for extra-curricular clubs.
Mutual Respect:
This is intrinsic to our school ethos and one of our 6 core values. Respect for property and people underpin everything that place both inside and outside the classroom.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs:
Our fully-inclusive, respectful ethos ensures tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. We enhance our pupils' understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society through assemblies, collective acts of worship, RE and PSHE lessons and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying. Through our broad and balanced curriculum the children get the opportunity to study different world faiths' beliefs, traditions and customs in depth, with guest speakers and visitors being invited in to our school to enrich and extend pupils' understanding further.