Promoting British Values

                       British Values at King’s Farm Primary School

 What will children learn?

Through the promotion of British Values at King’s Farm Primary School we expect pupils to develop understanding and knowledge including:

• an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
• an appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety; an understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence
• an understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• 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
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination

Being Part of Britain​

As a school, we value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody at King’s Farm Primary School. Alongside this, we value and celebrate living in, and being part of Britain.​

As a whole school we celebrate traditions and customs throughout the course of the year: ​

• the importance of respecting others, even when they are very different from them (for example, physically, in character, personality or backgrounds), or make different choices or have different preferences or beliefs
• Harvest Festival
• Remembrance Day
• Christmas and Easter
• Geography links to our local area​ and Geography teaching includes geographical features in the UK
• Teaching of where Britain is in relation to other countries and continents​
• ​We value and celebrate national events such as Royal celebrations​ and charitable events such as Children in Need, as well as the local St George’s Day Parade in Gravesend Town Centre

Democracy

At King’s Farm Primary School, we are dedicated to ensuring everyone has a voice within our school.​ During Learning to Learn week children each class discuss and agree what we expect from each other in class and around the school to ensure we have a safe and happy school.

Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at King’s Farm Primary School. Democracy is central to how we operate. Each class elects its own School Council member reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action. ​

Pupils from each class are elected to be part of The School Council, which meets regularly to discuss issues raised by class members. We encourage children to be leaders throughout the school including as class monitors, school council members, peer mentors and Online Safety Ambassadors

Democracy is taught through current affairs which are discussed as part of our Thursday morning assemblies.

In Child Initiated Time in Early Years children develop their decision making skills to make informed choices and take responsibility for them.

Pupils are always listened to by adults. Staff ask questions and invite children's answers and opinions, whether it be in lessons, during assemblies, at lunch time, in the playground or during circle time and PSHE opportunities. ​

Parents’ opinions are welcomed at King’s Farm Primary School through methods such as questionnaires and parent consultations. As well as open/frequent communication with the class teachers through our open door policy and class emails, as well as members of the Leadership Team being available before and after school every day.

Rule of Law

At King’s Farm Primary School, we have high expectations of children's behaviour and learning and the importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced often, such as in assemblies and when reflecting on behaviour choices.

Pupils are taught from an early age the rules and expectations of the school. During Learning to Learn Week at the start of the school year, each class discusses the expectations and class routines, principles that are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. We see our school as a mini-version of society that prepares them for life in the wider world.

We acknowledge, celebrate and encourage good behaviour through positive praise and re-enforcement, use of our reward system and weekly celebration assemblies.

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. These values are reinforced in different ways, including visits from PCSOs. We consider rules for particular faiths during Religious Education lessons.

 Individual Liberty

At King’s Farm Primary 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 young pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand, and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and taught how to do this safely, for example through online safety and Relationships Education lessons. Pupils have the freedom to make individual choices throughout the school day, including whether they would like to participate in one of our extracurricular clubs.

Mutual Respect

Respect is one of our school’s values.  Staff model this by caring, sharing and listening to others. In Term 5 our assemblies focus on the importance of respect for self and others. Pupils are taught to respect each other by using polite manners during Learning to Learn week at the start of the academic year including the value of saying. “Please” and “Thank you” as well as showing respect by holding doors open for each other when walking in the corridor. Pupils demonstrate their respect for each other and their respective achievements through our weekly celebration assemblies. 

Pupils and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their own opinions and voices heard. 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 basis by our pupils. ​

Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs​

Our pupils are able to live and work alongside people from all backgrounds and cultures. This is reflected in the composition of our school population which has over 20 first-languages amongst our pupils. We also have staff from different countries and with different faiths.  Our pupils know and understand that it is expected that respect is shown to everyone and to everything, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect. We hold an annual Cultural Evening to celebrate the diverse background of our families. Tolerance is promoted across the school including through:

• Religious Education, Relationships Education and other lessons where we develop awareness and appreciation of other cultures including visiting places of worship that are important to different faiths ​
• English through fiction ​
• ​Art and Music by considering cultures from other parts of the world ​​
• ​Celebrating cultural differences through assemblies, including Black History month. ​