British Values
The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. These British values have been carried through to the updated Prevent Duty Guidance 2023.
There are four values outlined in the strategy and are promoted as the values of people living in Britain today.
- Democracy
- Rule of Law
- Individual Liberty
- Respect and Tolerance of all religions/faiths or none.
At Oakwood Primary School these values are actively promoted and reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
Democracy
Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at Oakwood Primary School. Democracy is central to how we operate. Children and staff alongside our Governors have had input into developing our school values of:
Kindness
Curiosity
Ambition
School Council.
The election of the School Council members reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action: candidates make speeches, pupils consider characteristics important for an elected representative, pupils vote in secret using ballot boxes etc. Made up of two representatives from each class in KS2, the School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. The council has its own budget and is able to effect change within the school; in the past, the School Council has hosted fundraising activities and helped to provide equipment for our school grounds as selected by the children. The Council are actively involved in providing teachers with feedback.
Pupil Voice
Children are asked to respond and reflect on the teaching and learning they receive as well as make suggestions for the School Council to consider.
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 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.
Question and Answer Times
At Oakwood, we value the views of our pupils and also want Oakwood to be the best it can be. With this in mind, the children are invited to ask the Headteacher about the running of the school, their curriculum, extra-curricular activities and suggest ways in which Oakwood could be improved.
Parent Voice
Parents’ opinions are welcomed and actively sought at Oakwood Primary School through methods such as questionnaires, feedback from workshops and surveys.
Rule of Law
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school collective worship time. 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.
Individual Liberty
Within school, children 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 all children to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and an empowering approach through the education. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE/RSE lessons. Children are further empowered through being part of a School Council and being able to take part in pupil forums which report back to SLT with issues and fund raising ideas. Children are given the freedom to make a wide range of choices from attending extra-curricular clubs to supporting fund raising events.
Respect and Tolerance
At Oakwood, we are growing into a culturally rich and diverse school where children have unique opportunities to learn from each other by sharing and celebrating their different faiths and cultures. Adults throughout the school model, demonstrate and promote respect for others as do older children who have suitable, age related, tasks and responsibilities and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour.
Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. We also encourage visits from representatives of different faiths to the school and visits to places of worship to promote positive relationships across different communities.