At Roecliffe we promote the fundamental British values of Democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty and Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with Different Faiths and Beliefs. Teaching British values to our children improves their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural (SMSC) development. British values underpin what it is to be a British citizen in a modern and diverse Britain, and they promote a moral and cultural understanding that celebrates the diversity of the UK. We actively teach and model these values in a wide variety of ways, they are reflected in our school values, and as Christian values too. We promote these values in the following ways:
Democracy
Roecliffe has a School Council to which members are voted in each year by their peers. Children write a statement to support their proposal to be a School Council member and the children decide who will best represent them. House Captains are also elected by their peers and lead sports and physical activity events at our school and at offsite venues.
Class decisions are often made through voting and discussions in a democratic way and children are encouraged to reach group decisions in unstructured time (e.g. playtimes) in a similar way.
Democracy is taught and discussed during Collective Worships and during class-based PSHE sessions. There are frequent opportunities for our pupils to express their views during Collective Worships or group or class discussions. Our school invites significant individuals such as local MPs to visit our school and speak to our pupils so that they may gain a deeper understanding of democracy and democratic leadership.
The Rule of Law
Behaviour and safety at Roecliffe are priorities for the entire school community. Children know what is expected of them and why our Roecliffe Responsibilities (Be safe, Be ready, Be respectful) are important. The Roecliffe Responsibilities are referred to and reinforced to teach pupils to distinguish between right and wrong and to take responsibility for their own actions. Children are taught the reasons behind rules and laws, how they govern and protect us, and the consequences of what happens when these laws are broken. We invite guest speakers to our school, such as a magistrate, to discuss why laws are important at school, in our local community, nationally and globally.
Individual Liberty
At Roecliffe we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express our views and beliefs in a safe environment. We teach children to take responsibility for their behaviour and they are supported to understand that they can exercise their rights and personal freedoms safely. Examples of lessons in which this takes place are online safety and PSHE lessons, although opportunities to learn more about taking personal responsibility are used whenever they are relevant and appropriate. Our pupils are supported to become as independent as possible and this begins in our Nursery where independence is promoted and encouraged through the Enquiry Based Learning approach which is delivered in Class 1. In Collective Worships we discuss contextual situations in which Individual Liberty is used for individuals to express their views and beliefs.
Mutual Respect
The ethos of our school nurtures an understanding of mutual respect between individuals and we promote the importance of developing and securing positive relationships between parents, pupils and staff. All children and staff connected to our school understand our values and work in a manner that encourages everyone to achieve to their highest ability and be the best they can be whilst supporting each other. Learning and effort are highly respected and the whole school is focused on developing an intrinsic sense of worth and achievement.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
Pupils are taught to respect others from different backgrounds and are given regular opportunities to learn about different cultures and beliefs with respect and tolerance. Our staff support the children to understand that others may have religions and beliefs that differ from their own and to respect these differing viewpoints. Our annual ‘Focus Faith’ provides opportunities for us all to learn about one particular faith throughout the whole year through workshops, visits and visitors in addition to the RE and World Views curriculum. The Focus Faiths we learn about are: Islam, Judaism and Hinduism on a three year rolling program. We promote and appreciate diversity through our curriculum offer with the teaching of significant individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds in our topics and through enrichment activities such as a trip to London and France for our older pupils or a visit to a mosque.
