The DfE has recently reinforced the need “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.”
At South Wootton Junior School these values are promoted in a variety of ways. Below are just some aspects of school’s life that enable children to get a sense of these fundamentals values.
Democracy
At South Wootton Junior School we ensure that all pupils within the school have a voice that is listened to. We have a School Council where two representatives from each class are elected by the pupils to participate in Council meetings. These weekly meetings provide a way for children to give their opinions and influence important decisions made in the school. Class council representatives, in turn, hold Class Council meetings where their peers can discuss key elements of school life including those issues they wish to be raised in School Council meetings.
The school also has a Head Boy and Head Girl who are elected democratically at the beginning of the year. They also have regularly meetings with the Headteacher to feedback about what is good and what can be improved in the school.
Democracy is embedded within our school curriculum; all children are actively encouraged to participate in class discussions and in their learning. Lessons are designed to give children opportunities to debate on a range of moral and ethical issues.
We teach children about how democracy and the law works in Britain and their rights and responsibilities as British Citizens.
Mutual Respect
Children are taught to respect others regardless of their individual differences. Bullying of any kind is not tolerated and our approach to dealing with bullying incidents can be found in our Anti- Bullying Policy. We are an All Together School, working with the Anti-Bullying Alliance. We have an excellent pastoral who can support if parents feel that their child may be being bullied.
Children are taught about how to develop respectful relationships in a wide variety of ways including through our PATHs/PSHE curriculum. We also promote mutual respect in the online world. All the children have lessons on Internet Safety as part of the Computing Curriculum and in February we have a particular focus on Internet Safety week.
We hold assemblies that celebrate difference and other cultures. For example, the festivals from different faiths are explored in assemblies. Children are encouraged to share their different experiences with others e.g. Muslim children talking to others about Ramadan and a child with ASD talking to peers about how this affects their life. These help to build understanding of different people and their belief systems.
Equality is one of our values and is promoted in every aspect of school. We actively promote gender equality and teach the children about racial equality through PATHs/PSHE lessons.
The charity work that our children participate in is extremely valuable in helping them to develop a respect for others whilst also supporting the development of their role as active citizens in the wider society.
Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Our Equalities Policy helps to ensure that people of all religious beliefs, genders, ethnicities, abilities or any other differences are offered the opportunities they need to thrive at our school. Rather than merely tolerating the faiths and beliefs of others, children are taught to celebrate differences.
During PATHS/PSHE lessons and through our restorative approach to dealing with behavioural issues, children learn to accept and embrace difference and to understand how individuals feel by exploring emotional literacy. This work crosses all potential barriers of faith and religion. Supporting this, children’s RE lessons enable them to develop a growing understanding of different cultures and beliefs. The more children learn about religions, the more likely they are to understand different people’s motivations and feelings, thereby enabling them to celebrate those cultures and beliefs that differ from their own.
Rule of Law
Our Behaviour Policy helps to ensure that children understand how to behave in a positive way that helps to create a good learning environment. Our reward system of house points reinforces this.
Children and parents sign a Home School Agreement upon entering South Wootton Junior School that sets out the expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. These commitments mirror the expectations set by society and function as a set of rules to enable positive participation in school life.
Through our PATHs/PHSE curriculum, children are taught about emotional wellbeing and how their individual choices can affect those around them. By encouraging children to take responsibility for their own choices, we are promoting the ownership of behaviour and adherence to the rule of law in wider society.
In the past, the local PCSO has visited the school to talk to the children about how to stay safe, particularly online. This helps the children to see that there are police services to help uphold the law and to protect them.
Year 6 children participate in the Norfolk Fire Service event ‘Crucial Crew’ to learn about a whole range of activities linked to the Rule of Law as well as their responsibilities towards their own safety and that of other people.
Individual Liberty
Children are taught about rights and responsibilities in our PATHs/PSHE curriculum and also as part of our assembly programme. Specific lessons and assemblies focus on when individual liberty has been threatened, for example by learning about the life of Nelson Mandela , the Slave Trade and debating local and global news events.
Children’s achievements are celebrated in assemblies to instil in them a sense of worth and create ambitious pupils who believe in themselves. We currently hold weekly celebration assemblies which parents can view online.
Children are taught about making ‘good’ choices and have a full understanding that they are the ones that make choices about how they act, whether those choices are well made or not. This is a strong part of our restorative approach to behaviour.
In Year 6 children take on a variety of roles and responsibilities that help to make the school function well such as prefects. They apply for the roles and so freely choose the way they will contribute to our community.
Unfortunately not the ones with chocolate chips.
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