British Values at Holy Family
At Holy Family, we believe that the best way to promote British Values is through our ethos, the way the school is run, the decisions we make and the behaviour we model.
However, we recognise the importance of ensuring the children think and learn about each of the British Values and how that affects their own decisions and behaviour.
Each term, we focus on one British Value and think explicitly about examples in school. Each class collects some of these ideas and examples on different coloured post-it notes and these are added to our British Values display in our main corridor. We also have displays to promote British Values throughout school.
We are committed to serving our community. We recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. We understand and embrace the vital role we have in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.
Holy Family follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. As a school, we are dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students.
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 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated in 2014.
The British Values are:
Democracy
We aim to use the correct language: ‘democracy/democratic’ not ‘vote’
We demonstrate democracy through:
The rule of law
We encourage a generally positive attitude
to rules which make us safe and happy.
We demonstrate the rule of law through:
Teaching, as age appropriate, about the development of the Rule of Law in English Law, a legal system created uniquely in a Catholic England, inspired by Christian values and becoming a major influence across the world
Individual Liberty
We teach children about the importance of each individual’s freedom to make their own choices, including faith and belief
Ideas of restricting liberty through applying rules and consequences of law-breaking are explored with older pupils.
We demonstrate individual liberty through:
Mutual respect
We encourage a generally positive attitude
to rules which make us safe and happy.
We demonstrate mutual respect through:
Acceptance of other
faiths and beliefs
We teach an acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
We demonstrate acceptance of other faiths and beliefs through: