British Values

At St Lawrence C of E Primary School, we develop and promote British Values throughout our school and within our curriculum.
“We want every school to promote the basic British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.” Lord Nash
A key part of our plan for education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
British Values
The Rule of Law
- Democracy
- Individual Liberty
- Mutual Respect
- Tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs
To do this our children will develop;
- An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
- An understanding that the freedom to hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
- An acceptance that people having different faiths and beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of discriminatory behaviour
- An understanding of the importance or identifying and combating discrimination
The mission statement and aims of the school clearly reflect these values, and the whole school strives to uphold them.
Mission Statement
Our school is committed to providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment. We value and promote shared personal achievement, high standards and respect for the individual. We believe that by working together we build understanding of one another and develop the self-esteem of every individual.
This mission statement represents the principles that we strive towards at St Lawrence Primary School.
Our School Aims
Our aims stand upon three fundamental principles;
- To provide every child with the life skills to become successful learners who reach their full potential.
- To provide a safe, supportive, stimulating and inclusive environment where every child is recognised, cared for, encouraged and valued.
- St Lawrence will actively ensure the involvement of the whole community, particularly families, who have a vital role in supporting their children’s education. This partnership will encourage healthy and positive attitudes motivating children to become life-long learners.
As a school, we value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody at St Lawrence. Alongside this, we value and celebrate being part of Britain. In general terms, this means that we celebrate traditions and customs in the course of the year; for example, Harvest Festival during the Autumn term and trips to the pantomime in at Christmas. We also value and celebrate national focusses, with many opportunities planned in throughout the year to collaborate with the wider community and world.
Further to this, children learn about being part of Britain from different perspectives. Two specific examples of when we teach about being part of Britain are:
Geographically:
Our rivers, coasts and seaside holiday topics ensure that children have a better understanding of what Britain is, learning more about:
- its coasts, rivers and mountains
- where Britain is in relation to the rest of Europe and other countries in the world
Historically:
Key moments in British history and significant historical figures are studied.
The table below is an indication of where we can find evidence to show that British Values are an intrinsic part of school life at St Lawrence Primary School.
VALUE |
EVIDENCE |
Democracy |
Mission Statement Pupil Forum Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at St Lawrence Primary School. Democracy is central to how we operate. An obvious example is our School Council. The election of the School Council members reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action: candidates make speeches, pupils consider characteristics important for an elected representative, pupils vote in secret using ballot boxes etc. Made up of one representative from each class, the School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. Another example of ‘pupil voice’ is:
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. We encourage pupils to take ownership of not only their school but also of their own learning and progress. This encourages a heightened sense of both personal and social responsibility and is demonstrated on a daily basis by our pupils. Parents’ opinions are welcomed at St Lawrence Primary through methods such as questionnaires, surveys at parents evenings and opportunities to comment on whole school matters e.g. After school provision. |
The Rule of Law |
Mission Statement/ School aims Behaviour Policy Display of class rules in each classroom, Playground rules Lunchtime rules Playground buddies Curriculum links The importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced often, such as in assemblies and when reflecting on behaviour choices. At the start of the school year, each class discusses the school rules and class routines, principles that are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment, these rules are displayed in each class along with the Code of Conduct of the school. These rules play a fundamental role in our behaviour sanctions and rewards and are linked to our Golden Time throughout school. 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. These values are reinforced in different ways:
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Individual Liberty |
Mission Statement/School aims Behaviour policy P.S.H.E policy Displays of children’s activities Children’s key roles and responsibilities Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment, we provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely; for example:
Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely, such as in our PSHE JIGSAW lessons. We use the JIGSAW resource across the whole school which also links to assemblies. Collective worship is used to both explore and support the school’s values. By teaching the children how to manage and understand emotions they will be motivated and equipped to:
Children in Year 5 and 6 are given key roles and responsibilities such as Play leaders, Playground Buddies, Reading Buddies, Sports ambassadors and Prefects. Through opportunities such as our extra-curricular and Lunch Time clubs, Golden Time and Residential Trips, pupils are given the freedom to make safe choices. Children at St Lawrence are encouraged to make choices knowing they are in a safe and supportive environment.
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Mutual respect |
Mission Statement/School aims Behaviour policy P.S.H.E policy Roles and Responsibilities Display of children’s activities Display of positive values around school We have high expectations of achievement and behaviour. Children and staff are polite and kind. We believe everyone has their own special gifts and we are expected to use them. We listen and respect each other. We teach the children that conflict will be dealt with calmly and fairly. All members of the school family are valued equally. We celebrate lunch time behaviour and taking care of our school environment. We celebrate each other’s achievements whether that be in or out of school. Teachers plan exciting, interesting, challenging and innovative lessons where everybody is expected to do their best and respect others. When our older children are given key roles and responsibilities to work alongside younger children this helps to promote mutual respect across the age phases. E.g. Reading buddies, Lunchtime ‘Runners’ and Playground Buddies |
Tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs |
Mission Statement /school aims P.S.H.E policy R.E. policy Worship records Alternative faith work as part of the R.E curriculum coverage St Lawrence Primary are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs. Tolerance, politeness and mutual respect are at the heart of our aims, ethos and R.E curriculum. We strive to ensure that our pupils are able to live and work alongside people from all backgrounds and cultures. This will be particularly necessary in a future where technological advances will make the 'world a smaller place.' Our pupils know and understand that it is expected that respect is shown to everyone and to everything, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect. Specific examples of how we at St Lawrence Primary enhance pupils’ understanding and respect for different faiths and beliefs are:
Children are encouraged to share their own experiences when celebrating their own faith. Daily worship reflects and teaches the children tolerance for different faiths and beliefs. Activities within school support both children and adults of different or no faith, the children are taught respect and tolerance of these groups and the opinions of the groups are taken into account with all activities. Whilst instances contrary to our values are relatively rare, each is treated seriously in line with our policies and expectations. |