British Values
King Athelstan Primary School is committed to promoting key ‘British values’ (as outlined below) through its ethos and wider curriculum. We pride ourselves on our inclusive environment and ensure that all children are taught to understand, appreciate and respect diversity - embracing the world we live in as local, national and global citizens and as potential leaders of the future.
We view these as not just as British values but as ‘human values’ and we reinforce them regularly in a variety of ways, alongside our school PRIDE values.
Democracy
As part of our life skills and citizenship curriculum, the children learn about the idea of democracy through a variety of contexts including electing School Council representatives through a democratic process. We embody equality, fairness and a right to pupil voice as part of our school ethos. As part of our PSHE and SMSC curriculum, the children learn about the structure of who is in charge in our area in order to contact them, in addition to understanding the need to and right to campaign for what we believe in. Our School Council, which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in ‘class council’ discussions, is able to genuinely effect change within the school. Council members and members of our Eco Warriors Team for each class are voted in by their class. Members of the Junior Leadership Team (JLT) help interview all candidates for jobs in the school and their opinions are important.
At the start of each academic year, we also elect Co-Chairs of the JLT. These children present to the whole school about why they believe that they would be the best person for the job and are interviewed by the Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher. The Co-Chairs regularly report back to the school’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT) on behalf of the children at King Athelstan.
Children complete an annual questionnaire with which they are able to put forward their views about the school and pupils contribute to subject leaders pupil voice surveys on a biweekly bases.
The Rule of Law
The idea of ‘right and wrong’ and of ‘playing and learning safely’ are clearly and consistently adhered to throughout our school rules and strong behaviour policy as well as through school assemblies. Through our school ethos, curriculum and approach to supporting behaviour, children understand the concepts of justice, fairness, rewards and consequences. We regularly record and review any incidents of unexpected behaviour in school and share these with key stakeholders. We view such incidents as learning opportunities, supporting children to understand why the behaviour was not acceptable and how to manage the situation differently in future. Our behaviour policy promotes a culture of reflection and restoration to help build good citizens of the future.
We have visits from local police officers to support our learning across the wider curriculum. Children 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 PSHE lessons. In addition, in Year 5 the children take part in monitoring the speed of traffic outside the school using ANPR cameras; Year 6 also go a trip to Clapham Magistrates Court and take part in Kingston’s Junior Citizen Day.
Individual Liberty
Children have key roles and responsibilities across the school. They are actively encouraged to make choices and think independently whilst in a safe, supportive environment. As a school we are dedicated to teaching children about safe and sensible choices, which will support them for life. We provide clear, consistent boundaries for children to learn moral ideas and explore the meaning of right and wrong. Our ethos and core values clearly embodies everything we do. Our children are given the freedom to make informed choice, are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely for example, through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of learning challenges in class or the ‘Thinker Project’ Homework, or through participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, children are given options and the freedom to reflect on the choices they have made.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of our core school values and is represented by the ‘R’ in PRIDE. Each PRIDE value is linked to an animal (researched and selected by our children) and ‘respect’ is symbolised by the wolf as they: form tight social bonds with their pack; nurture their young; are loyal and abide by a social hierarchy based on respect and discipline. Respect is a theme that is addressed frequently across the school, through life skills, assemblies and our PSHE curriculum. It is embedded through our school rules, class rules and reward system and is consistently modelled by all adults within the school community. We respect all faiths, backgrounds and cultures at King Athelstan and all children work and play together harmoniously, with clear acceptance of one another.
Tolerance of Different Faiths, Beliefs and Cultures
We are very proud of the diverse nature of our school. Assemblies regularly address and celebrate this, either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Our RE and PSHE teaching reinforces this. The RE curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures. We make annual visits to different places of worship and invite members of the community to come into school and talk about their beliefs. The school celebrates the important festivals of its pupils including Eid, Diwali and Christmas, which we celebrate through our Christmas class assemblies. Our International Day is another way in which we proudly celebrate the different cultures in our school. We focus on common values that will help our children to become well rounded, respectful citizens. Our extensive curriculum offer ensures that children are taught essential skills, values and attitudes in order to contribute effectively to their communities.
At King Athelstan, we will actively challenge children, staff or families expressing opinions contrary to these fundamental British and human values. Expression of ‘extremist’ views, which promote intolerance or harm to others, is treated as a safeguarding concern.
