Our School British Values

At Savile Park Primary School we provide high quality teaching and learning experiences in a caring and supportive environment, where all members of our school community reach their full potential. We respect and value each other, raise self-esteem and develop positive relationships.

British Values Curriculum Map

We aim to ensure that through our school vision, rules, curriculum and teaching we promote tolerance and respect for all cultures, faiths and lifestyles. We have a duty to prepare our children for life in modern Britain and to keep them safe. We value the importance of the current Ofsted guidance:

“To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to 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.”

The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. Savile Park Primary school promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Democracy

We have a School Council, with representatives elected by their classmates each year. We hold annual elections for the House Captains. We also invite direct pupil voice via pupil surveys and pupil interviews with staff and governors. All these channels ensure that the voices of pupils within the school are heard, and demonstrate how democratic election processes work in practice.

The history of democracy is taught through historical research, for example of the Ancient
Greece civilisation.
Democracy is also promoted through additional Personal Development lessons and
assemblies.
On a daily basis, we ensure that pupils are listened to by adults and taught to listen to one
another. We teach children how to debate respectfully.
All members of our school are expected to contribute actively and thoughtfully to their
community.
The school facilitates regular stakeholder questionnaires in order to ensure everyone’s voice
is heard.
The School’s leadership also strives to model the values of transparency and accountability in
its own actions.

Our school behaviour policy involves rewards and sanctions; this is shared through all aspects of school life and also with parents and carers.

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 basic by our pupils.

The Rule of Law

We have three school rules that form the basis of our behaviour policy:

Use kind words

Keep hands and feet to yourself

Follow instructions

We have high expectations about pupil conduct and this is reflected in our Behaviour Policy, which is applied consistently. There are rewards for exhibiting responsible, respectful and co-operative behaviour. We teach children to distinguish right from wrong, drawing parallels between rule breaking and behaviour management at school and in society generally, involving pupils in understanding what makes a disciplinary action fair and just, and modelling consistency in the exercise of authority.
Children, staff and parents sign contracts for particular purposes, such as responsible usage of the internet.
Within the curriculum, we teach respect for the civil and criminal law of England. Visiting speakers, from the Police and fire service, reinforcing these messages to pupils.
Year 4 are taught a crime and punishment topic.

The importance of laws is consistently reinforced throughout the school day. 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. The school behavioural policy is clearly displayed in every classroom and sets out expected behaviour and associated rights across the school. Each class also decide upon their own behaviour charter which is displayed within each classroom.

Circle time is used as an opportunity to discuss difficult situations that benefit from whole class discussion. Keeping safe when using the internet is regularly discussed with children in computing lessons and in assemblies. All members of the school community sign our Acceptable Use Policy and pledge to use the internet safely.

Individual Liberty

Our School places special emphasis on freedom of self-expression, our emphasis on an enriched and creative curriculum, and the amount of freedom given to children to make choices as learners, both in class and in their extra-curricular activities.

Children are taught to use the language of choice.
Through our school values and through PSHE lessons, children are taught about personal responsibility, choices, ambition and aspiration. They are encouraged to take opportunities to follow their interests in art, music, sport etc.
Children are taught to always challenge stereotypes.
Our PSHE curriculum has specific units relating to individual liberty and social responsibility including ‘Good to Be Me!’ and ‘Anti-bullying’.
Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, including on-line. This is done through computing lessons, assemblies and outside organisations such as the NSPCC visits, as well as through the PSHE curriculum.

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 pupils to make choices, through provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely.

Savile Park pupils are given the freedom to make many choices, be this in class, through their choice of learning strategies, in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, through fundraising or sporting opportunities or their choice of learning a musical instrument.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We teach both self-respect and respect for others, developing tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions and celebrating the diverse backgrounds of everyone at our School. Children are encouraged to discuss and show tolerance of all differences between people, whether those differences are in their faith, ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or family structure.

We hold regular assemblies every year on the theme of mutual respect and tolerance as well as a programme of assemblies throughout the calendar that explores the world’s major religions and their festivals.
As a non-denominational school, mutual toleration of all beliefs is central to our ethos and therefore to all our religious education and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) teaching.
An Anti-Bullying week is held annually and various well-being events are held across the year. During these sessions, children are taught to value differences in others and themselves and to respect others.
Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs is promoted through the Calderdale Syllabus for Religious Education which we follow. Assemblies and learning experiences across the school are regularly planned to address this issue either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of beliefs, countries, faiths and cultures beyond our children’s experiences. The children’s work on this subject or whole school learning in assemblies is often displayed in the classrooms or around the school.
This is supplemented by assemblies which also mark and celebrate significant religious festivals such as Ramadan and Diwali.
Visits are made by local religious leaders and children have the opportunity to visit places of worship.
While we respect freedom of expression, Savile Park Primary School is committed to challenging anyone who promotes views or behaviour – such as religious extremism – contrary to British Values or other universal human rights.

At Savile Park Primary School, mutual respect is at the heart of our ethos and values. Children learn that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and those of others. There are many opportunities to develop this across the school curriculum.

Children are encouraged to work in collaboration as much as possible either in their class, with other year groups, as play leaders and sometimes with other schools in sport, RE or at music celebrations.

All members of the school community treat each other with respect. We publish our behaviour policy on the school website as well as in every classroom. Assemblies throughout the year on inspirational people such as the Life of Martin Luther King, reflects this ethos.

We value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of events and curriculum provision to celebrate these. Underpinning this is a range of curriculum topics which have strong links to the British Empire.

Assemblies are regularly planned to include stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths. On a general level, the school undertakes class discussions that uphold traditional values of empathy, respect and tolerance. These are also taught within formal SEAL, PSHE and RE lessons and on an informal nature throughout the school days.

At Savile Park Primary we actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views.