British Values

British Values

The DFE have 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 the law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

At Waterloo Primary Academy, we strive to prepare children for life in modern Britain. We make sure that the fundamental British Values:

democracy, the rule of law individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs can been clearly seen in the ethos of our school.

At Waterloo, children will encounter these principles in everyday school life. Our promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding runs right through our ‘Learning Means the World’ curriculum so that the children’s understanding of these values is developed in a range of ways. Additionally, the values are taught in R.E, which again gives the children real and meaningful opportunities to explore these principles.

At Waterloo, we take the opportunity to actively promote British Values through whole school assemblies and many of our whole school systems and structures lend themselves to the active promotion of British Values, such as the democratic school council election process.

Our active promotion of British Values means that children are able to develop a sense of community at Waterloo, as well as develop their understanding of their role and responsibilities within it.

Democracy

Pupil voice has an important part to play in the life of Waterloo Primary Academy. Our pupil-elected School Council and Eco Council have a key role in our school. They are elected by their class peers and are involved in making the school a better place to be. Additionally, pupil voice is heard through pupil book study and through pupil questionnaires. We know that the formation of our school councils, and the active participation of our pupils, will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

Rule of Law

Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives, so we want them to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the local area or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to.

The understanding of the importance of rules is consistently reinforced through assemblies, in classes, around the school and throughout our curriculum. The involvement of our pupils in the creation of class charters helps them to understand the reasons behind the rules and the resulting consequences if they are broken. Through SMSC questions and PSHE lessons, we allow opportunities to debate and discuss the reasons for laws so that children can recognise the importance of these for their own protection. We have strong links with our local community police officers as we believe that clear explanations, and real life stories, emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils. Opportunities for children to take more responsibility around the school are encouraged through roles such as our Kindness Counts Ambassadors, our House Captains and our Resilience Champions.

Individual Liberty

We invest a great deal of time in creating a positive culture in our school.

Waterloo Primary Academy is safe environment for our children, where choices and freedoms are encouraged and valued. We offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests and skills. Through our online safety work, we educate children about their rights and personal freedoms, as well as support them to recognise how to exercise these freedoms safely. During PSHE lessons, all children are encouraged to share their feelings in a safe way. At Waterloo, we believe that valuing choice and freedom in daily school life, will foster a value for individual liberty as the children embark upon their adult lives.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is one of our four key values and so lies at the heart of school life.

At Waterloo, the children learn to treat each other and staff with great respect. This is evident when walking around the school and in each of the classrooms. Each class agrees upon a class charter and uses this to set the tone for the level of respect that is expected throughout the year. Throughout our curriculum, the children are taught to value differences in themselves and others and most importantly, the importance of showing respect to all.

Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

At Waterloo Primary Academy, we follow Lancashire’s locally agreed RE syllabus.

Our children learn about a number of world faiths and through this curriculum, they develop their respect and understanding for the cultures, beliefs, opinions and traditions or others. Assemblies help to contribute to the knowledge of special occasions, beliefs and customs and our wider curriculum, and school-wide theme of culture, adds to the cultural journey the children experience at Waterloo. Through the routines of daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance, supporting our children to become successful citizens in a multi-cultural society.

British Values in our Curriculum

The teaching of British Values is evident across our curriculum. Here are some examples…

At Waterloo Primary Academy, we also teach British Values through our 3D PSHE curriculum.

Welcome to Waterloo Primary Academy

We hope you enjoy browsing our website, if there’s something you would like to ask, please contact us, we’re always happy to talk!