British Values and SMSC at Park Lane

PREVENT Agenda - Promoting British Values

At Park Lane we are committed to ensuring each child understands the concept of being British. We promote values and attitudes that are essential to future citizens of our country.

This is done in many ways and we have endeavoured to identify some of the activities that take place under the following headings.

• Democracy
• Rule of Law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

The fundamental principles of British values are implicitly embedded in the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum that is followed at Park Lane.

Democracy

We encourage children to have self-confidence and self-awareness and to see their role in the bigger picture, encouraging them to know their views count, value each other’s views and values and talk about their feelings, for example when they do or do not need help.

We learn about the principles of elections, freedom of speech and voting, reflecting the British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action through our school council which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class and school. The council has its own budget and is genuinely able to effect change within the school. Every child on the student council is voted in by their class.

Examples in school

Child Initiated Activities: the children choose and decide what to do for the day as a group and then throughout the day each group makes decisions about what to try/do next.
Class treats: children come up with examples of what they want to do as part of their class reward, justifying their choices to others
Children are encouraged in the hidden curriculum (also taught in assembly and PSHE) to be assertive, speak up for what they believe in and work on taking turns with friends.
Voting and taking part in school council elections to improve the school.
Participation in sporting events.
Hearing every side of the story to resolve issues.
Working within school teams and respecting points scored and tallied.
Responding to pupil questionnaires.

Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school, or the country, is consistently reinforced at Park Lane.

Children are taught from an early age about the rules and responsibilities of the school- these are our 3 Diamond Rules which underpin all our learning behaviours.

Examples in school

Coaching through behaviour incidents at playtime or lunchtime
Stories in assembly
Class reward systems
Diamond rules and class rules created by the children that link to these
Computing links- keeping safe online and P.E links to rules in games
Regular visits - from our local PCSO and policing team to reinforce roles and responsibilities.
Our Mini Police Team in UKS2
PSHE lessons including cyber bullying and our roles to uphold the law

Individual Liberty

Children develop a positive sense of themselves.

We provide opportunities for children to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and increase their confidence in their own abilities. Examples of this are through allowing children to take risks in lessons, setting their own levels of challenge and talking about their experiences and learning. We encourage a range of experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings and responsibility, reflect on their differences and understand we are free to have different opinions.

Examples in school

R.E curriculum
Stories in assembly
Class reward systems
Knowing how to get help with – Learning- Problems
Children’s views are important and should be listened to.
Bullying will not be tolerated.
Children should feel safe and know who to talk to if they have fears or problems.
Being responsible for own behaviour
Not being stereotypical and encouraging non gender specific play.
Allowing and respecting children’s right NOT to attend assembly, watch TV etc. due to faith and belief.
Understanding that liberty is precious- supporting our forces through Remembrance Day, recognising their work on our behalf and those in other countries

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We educate to create an ethos of inclusivity and tolerance where views, faiths, cultures and races are valued and children are engaged with the wider community.

Children’s acquire a tolerance and appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures; know about similarities and differences between themselves and others and among families, faiths, communities, cultures and traditions and share and discuss practices, celebrations and experiences. We encourage and explain the importance of tolerant behaviours such as sharing and respecting other’s opinions. We promote diverse attitudes and challenge stereotypes, for example, sharing stories that reflect and value the diversity of children’s experiences and providing resources and activities that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping.

Examples in school

R.E curriculum and assemblies- celebrating different religious festivals through the year
PSHE curriculum
Community visits - In school and locally e.g. Different faith venues.
Allowing children to wear clothing due to religious reasons.
Provide alternative activities for children unable to take part in certain sessions linked to religion
Non gender specific dressing up clothes across the school.
Assemblies- exploring shared values-promoting respect and tolerance of differences.
Clear values in our school rules-discussed and understood.
Discussions on differences/similarities in faith, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality.
Acceptance and understanding of differing family circumstances.
Anti-bullying week.
Children listening to peers when leading activities ie peer coaching.
Every child has a voice. Every child is valued and helped to integrate.
Recognising and celebrating unique identity of countries and groups ie knowing about St. George and other patron saints of countries within the UK

What is SMSC?

This is the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development of the children in our school.

At Park Lane we recognise that the personal development of children, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve.

We want to give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issue; develop a sense of social and moral responsibility and promote British Values.

This is not a separate subject that is taught explicitly but an aspect of learning that should be present in lessons and behaviour in school. Some lessons lend themselves more easily to direct SMSC development such as PSHE and RE. We also aim to develop SMSC through assemblies, behaviour expectations and our attitudes in school.

The aims of our SMSC education programme are:

to ensure pupils education at Park Lane Primary School is holistic rather than focused narrowly on purely academic aspects of learning.
to provide pupils with a rounded education, including learning how to work and play together, understanding and respecting others points of view, respecting and applying rules and understanding why these exist.
to prepare pupils to contribute to society and culture throughout their lives, and enable them to participate actively and positively in the life of the school, their local community and wider society.
to encourage pupils to value themselves and their unique contributions to their own and others lives, and in turn to value and celebrate others and their qualities and abilities.
to encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely.

We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop:

Their own values and beliefs
Their own spiritual awareness
Their own high standards of personal behaviour
Their team and collaborative skills
A positive, caring attitude towards other people
An understanding of their social and cultural traditions
An understanding of democratic processes and the law in England
An appreciation and acceptance of the diversity and richness of their cultures
Their opportunities to experience other cultures
Their ability to celebrate each other’s successes
Their access to a range of educational visits