Promoting British Values
At Pennoweth School we uphold and teach pupils about British Values which are defined as:
Democracy
Rule of Law
Individual Liberty
Mutual Respect
Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Democracy
Democracy is an important value at our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through the School Council, class discussions and Pupil Focus Groups. The elections of members are based on pupil votes and the as the Mayor is Chair of Governors at the school, she is regularly involved in these processes.
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 regular school days. Our positive behaviour system is aligned to our school ‘DNA’ and has a path of consequences mapped out for children to follow should they make the wrong choice. Standards and expectations are clear. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws and rules, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when the laws/rules are broken. Visits from the authorities such as the police, PCSOs and Fire Service are regular parts of our calendar and help 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 our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment, a planned curriculum and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand their rights and exercise their personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely. This includes our e-safety teaching and PSHE lessons. Pupils are encouraged to make their own, well informed choices.
Mutual Respect Respect is a central value across the school. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone whatever difference we may have. Respect at Pennoweth School underpins our work every day both in and out of the classroom. Children and adults alike, including visitors are challenged if they are disrespectful in any way.
Tolerance of those with different faiths, cultural background 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 in our local community and further afield through our curriculum. We use assemblies and invite visitors into school to lead workshops (e.g. Daya) and involve children in discussions regarding extreme opinions and prejudice. We involve children in discussions about bullying. Celebrations of an international nature as a whole school encourage children to research and discover differences and similarities between us and other countries are planned.
SMSC
Our curriculum enfolds all aspects of SMSC (social, moral, spiritual and cultural) awareness.
The documents below illustrate the opportunities that we weave into our everyday learning opportunities that build children’s understanding and knowledge of British values and SMSC. These opportunities are in addition to those created through our wider curriculum opportunities and through our PSHE programme.