Promoting British Values at Ireland Wood Primary School

At Ireland Wood we promote ‘British Values’ through our spiritual, moral, social and cultural education and is part of our Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum. At Ireland Wood, we know that development in this area, and any other area of learning, is most successful when values and attitudes are promoted and modelled by all the staff and provide a model of behaviour for our pupils.

‘British Values’ were set out in the Government’s 2011 ‘Prevent Strategy‘ and the British Values are are reinforced regularly in the following ways:  
 

Democracy
Each year the children decide upon their class and pupil promise and the rights associated with these. All the children contribute to the drawing up of the ‘Vision’ through our commitment to Investors in Pupils. We have a school council which meets twice a month with the Assistant Headteacher to discuss issues raised in class council meetings. The council has its own budget and is genuinely able to effect change within the school. Every child on the school council Y1-5 is voted in by their class. There is a whole school election for the Y6 candidates. Children have an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school.  

The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at Ireland Wood. Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school. These are The Ireland Wood Way, Playground Rules and Safety Rules. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message as well as the Y5/6 mini parliament event. 

Individual Liberty
At Ireland Wood, 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 advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our eSafety and PSHE lessons.  
 
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect. The Ireland Wood Way reads:
 
1. Instructions are followed the first time.
2. We show respect to each other and all adults.
3. Pupils do not hurt each other.
4. School environment and resources are cared for.
 
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
Ireland Wood is a diverse school. We actively promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures. Religious Education lessons and PSHE lessons reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others. Our multicultural pages on our website illustrate our commitment to exploring our diverse school community. Members of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. The children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths. We follow the Leeds agreed syllabus for Religious Education: http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Leeds%20RE%20syllabus.pdf