British Values
British Values Statement
Introduction
At Castle Camps C of E (V.C.) Primary School we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain. We ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos and work of the school. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering understanding of these concepts and, in particular, our RE, PSHE and Citizenship lessons provide excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding. Children embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives.
The school makes considerable efforts to ensure children have exposure to a wide experience beyond their local community during which these concepts are shown. Sporting events, a range of visits and use of outdoor education centres are planned to ensure children’s experiences are broad, meaningful and varied. Their strong rooted values-based understanding gives them an excellent platform for embracing difference.
What are British Values?
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British values in the ‘Prevent Strategy’ - values of:
• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
British Values at Castle Camps
Democracy:
Democracy is an integral part of school life. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and Pupil questionnaires. The elections of House Captains and School Councillors are based solely on pupil votes. Monthly meetings of the School Council ensure the reinforcement of democratic processes, the application of freedom of speech and group action to address needs and concerns. Key to this is the concept of holding others to account, including those in positions of authority and influence. Pupils also nominate a child in their class to receive the Golden Book Award each fortnight.
The Rule of Law:
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through collective worship. 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. Visits from authorities such as the Police; Fire Service; Armed Forces Personnel 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 young pupils to make choices safety, through of provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect:
Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around Core Values such as ‘Respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions and collective worship related to what this means and how it is shown. Posters around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom rules, as well as our behaviour policy. The concept of ‘fair play’, being magnanimous in defeat and participation in activities that promote kinship and affiliation with others are actively promoted in school.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:
As a church school, collective worship is fundamentally Christian in character, but recognises that those attending may have a wide range of faiths, or none. Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Collective worship and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Castle Camps Primary School follows the Agreed Cambridgeshire Syllabus for Religious Education. A copy of the units covered by each class is available on the website.
British History within the Curriculum
Castle Camps offers a range of curriculum topics which have strong links to Britain both past and present. As a school we encourage knowledge of current affairs that are significant to us as a nation. The Platinum Jubilee and Coronation of King Charles were large events for the school, with special afternoon tea parties held in the school grounds. The school also held events to recognise the passing of our late Queen Elizabeth II. During this time we expressed our sincere gratitude for her life of service, and offered the commitment that, in our educational work, we will continue to respect her legacy and the values that she embodied.
In 2012, the school celebrated the Olympics, with opportunities to learn about the history of Olympians in this country. Class 4 participated in a Mini-Olympics in Cambridge, competing against other South Cambridgeshire schools. We continue to benefit from our Olympic legacy through the Sports Premium funding, which has greatly enriched our sports provision in school.
Across all years, there is a strong focus on the work of famous British figures both past and present; these include Florence Nightingale, Edith Carvell, Winston Churchill and Queen Victoria. The children really enjoy learning about people from the past and in particular those who have had an impact on the modern world and our community.
The World War 1 centenary was an important event at Castle Camps, which saw the community gather together to celebrate and remember the fallen of the Parish. A number of activities were planned in school to mark the centenary, including a Remembrance Day Service, wreath-laying at the memorial and money-raising events for our armed forces charities. The school is proud of its history and takes every opportunity to use first hand historical evidence to find out more about its past. School record books from 1940 identify the arrival of evacuees at Castle Camps, as well as explaining how school life was influenced by its close proximity to Castle Camps Airfield, a WW2 fighter station.
Miss A. O’Connor
Headteacher