At St Aidan’s Church of England Primary School, we are committed to the promotion of the British Values and to serving our local and wider communities through our Christian ethos and our spiritual, moral, social and cultural provision.
We recognise the importance of our responsibility to prepare our children for life in modern Britain and ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed and lived out throughout our school curriculum.
We also recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith nature of the United Kingdom and actively promote and model these ideals, welcoming admissions from all those families entitled to education under British law regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, political or financial status.
Throughout all we do, pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views, all people living in England are subject to its law.
The Key British Values are:
- Democracy
- The Rule of Law
- Individual Liberty
- Mutual Respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs (Acceptance)
Democracy
Democracy is embedded as part of our daily practice at St. Aidan’s. Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other – respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard.
We understand that children’s opinions about their school are valuable and need to be at the heart of our decision-making. Therefore, there are opportunities to apply for various positions in school such as to be a member of the School Council or a House captain. Pupils have the opportunity to share their opinions and ideas through our School Council who hold regular meetings with staff and other stakeholders. The elections of the School Councils’ members are based solely on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action.
The Rule of Law
At St. Aidan’s, the importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced. Children are taught the significance and reasons behind our expectations, ultimately recognising that rules are there to protect us and keep us safe. They understand that everyone has a responsibility to follow the rules and that there are consequences when rules are broken.
Our five Christian values (love, forgiveness, courage, hope, respect, wisdom) are a fundamental part of our school ethos and are referred to in all parts of the school day.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices daily, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school, we educate and provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely; examples of this can be clearly seen in our Collective Worship and e-safety lessons which underpin our computing curriculum. Our RSHE resource ‘Jigsaw’ allows children to make choices from a range of real-life scenarios, and to view the possible consequences from choices made. Whether it is through choice of challenge; of how they record; of participation in our numerous extracurricular activities; our pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of the guiding values at St. Aidan’s and is embedded throughout our school. Pupils know and understand that it is imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have. We celebrate the diversity within our school, community and modern Britain. As a school, inclusivity is a priority, and we aim to create an environment where everyone feels seen and heard for who they are. Equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded and a culture of our school. This is achieved through our curriculum subjects, awareness days, Collective Worship gatherings, displays, books and resources, workshops and visits to name a few. Furthermore, our core values of love, forgiveness, courage, hope, respect and wisdom underpin all our work and respect for one another – which is paramount.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
Our Christian Vision of ‘We have come that we may have life, life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10) encapsulates the ethos here at St. Aidan’s, that we all flourish together, irrespective of our faith, race and beliefs. St Aidan’s Church of England Primary School enhances pupils understanding of different faiths, beliefs and values, through religious education studies and through enjoying a depth of study through themed weeks and events. This includes learning about holy books used across religions, places of worship, symbols, traditions and festivals. The children also learn about different world faiths and beliefs through visits, visitors and speakers, workshops and community-based projects. This enables the children to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures.