Preparing Learners for Life in Modern Britain

The Department for Education has introduced a statutory duty for all UK schools to promote and teach fundamental British Values.

At Squirrel Hayes First School we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare our learners for life in modern Britain. We value and recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever changing nature of the United Kingdom and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate and explore other cultures in our country and the wider world. Whilst promoting equal opportunities we also understand the vital role we play as a school in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to influence them.

We ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the every-day work and ethos of our school’s learning community. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for further understanding the key values. Our ‘Creative Curriculum’ and focus on ‘BLP – Building Learning Power’, provides excellent opportunities to develop and deepen understanding of the ‘spiritual, moral, social and cultural education of our learners.

The Government sets out its definition of British Values in the 2011 ‘Prevent Strategy’. The five British Values are:-

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

As a school we make considerable efforts to ensure that our learners have exposure to a wide variety of learning experiences beyond the local community, through educational visits, workshops, sporting events and the use of outdoor education centres. All these opportunities provide a purposeful platform for embracing difference and diversity.

The following sub pages provide just some examples of how fundamental British Values are promoted and taught at Squirrel Hayes First School:-