British Values

The Department for Education defines British Values as follows:

• Respect for democracy and support or participation in the democratic process
• Respect for the basis on which the law is made and applies in England
• Support for equality of opportunity for all
• Support and respect for the liberties of all within the law
• Respect for and tolerance of different faiths and religious and other beliefs

Our school reflects these British values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our children on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible, and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world. We encourage our children to be creative, unique, open-minded, and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world.  

At Greenholm School, we actively promote British Values through the Greenholm Values in the following ways:

Democracy

At Greenholm we learn about our democracy…

Greenholm is a UNICEF Rights Respecting school. Each year the children decide upon their class charter and the rights associated with these. All the children contribute to the drawing up of the charter.

Each class has its own representatives on the school council, voted for by every child in their class, in annual elections. The school council itself adheres to democratic processes.

Karen Trench (local councilor) has visited the school to talk to the pupils about the process of democracy.

The school council meets regularly to discuss issues relating to school life and make decisions about a range of issues.

All children are encouraged to debate topics of interest, express their views and make a meaningful contribution to the running of the school on matters that directly involve pupils.

The principle of democracy is explored in the curriculum as well as during assemblies and special days and through Democracy Week

Our pupils have had active involvement in the selection processes of new staff.

Children have an annual questionnaire with which they are able to put forward their views about the school.

---

Rule of Law

At Greenholm we understand our rights and responsibilities…

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behavior and through school assemblies. 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. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message. The Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policies set out a zero tolerance baseline for any form of aggression, abuse or violence, which extends to pupils, staff, and parents, and carers The Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policies set out a zero tolerance baseline for any form of aggression, abuse or violence, which extends to pupils, staff and parents, and carers.

Individual Liberty

At Greenholm we allow everybody to have a voice…

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to be independent by making 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 an inspiring and aspirational curriculum.  Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety, PSHE, and SEAL lessons. Whether it be through choice of learning challenge, of how they record, or participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with Difference Faiths and Beliefs

At Greenholm we treat everybody with equal respect…

Mutual respect is at the heart of our school values. Children learn that their behaviors have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect. We are lucky that our school is based on an increasingly diverse community and our assemblies explore stories and celebrations from an equally diverse range of religious and non-religious worldviews. Our RE, PSHE, SEAL, and PATHS teaching reinforce this in class. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths. Staff and pupils are encouraged to challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behavior.

PREVENT Duty

Schools have a  statutory duty to pay “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. The Prevent duty is clear that extremism of all kinds, whether Islamic extremism or far-right groups such as Britain First and the English Defence League, must be tackled.

All of our staff have been trained in the Prevent duty and must have due regard to preventing people from being drawn into terrorism. In order to protect children in their care, staff must be alert to any reason for concern in the child’s life at home or elsewhere. This includes awareness of the expression of extremist views. Staff should be able to identify children who may be vulnerable to radicalization and know what to do when they are identified.