Promoting British Values at Eastbury Farm

The government set out their definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and they were since reinforced in September 2014.  At Eastbury Farm, these values are reflected in our school aims and we reinforce them through the life of our school.

Democracy

Pupil voice is extremely significant when it comes to life at Eastbury Farm.  We have a School Council made up of representatives from classes throughout the school. These councillors are voted for by their peers following a formal election process, and they have a strong voice in suggesting and driving forward initiatives in school. Topics are reported back to classes, and matters are voted on in classrooms and in council meetings. The Chair of the local district council has also visited the children in assembly. Each year, children from Year 6 are nominated and voted to be House Captains.  We also have a democratically elected group of Eco-Warriors who lead on sustainability in our school.  Children also learn about government and democracy in PSHE lessons.  

Rule of Law

Children at Eastbury Farm are taught about the importance of rules and laws through PSHE lessons, PE and assemblies. We have a clear Behaviour Policy which is consistently applied in school and children recognise that there are consequences when rules are not followed. They are helped to understand that these exist to keep us safe and help communities to live together in harmony.  Throughout the year, we welcome visits from members of the wider community including police, war veterans, the fire brigade and many more. We believe that clear explanations and real life stories emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils.

Individual Liberty

Our children are actively encouraged to make choices within the safe and supportive environment of our school.  In lessons, children are encouraged to choose the task that will challenge them, giving them more freedom to determine their own learning. We offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests.  Through lessons such as PSHE and E safety, they learn how to stay safe whilst exercising their freedoms as individuals.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the core of our school life.  All members of our school community are encouraged to show respect for each other and members of staff model this in their interactions with the children and with each other. Our focus is on encouraging prosocial behaviour and this is embedded in our Behaviour Policy and aligns with the Therapeutic Thinking approach on which our behaviour ethos is underpinned.  We are currently developing our values based education and to date our community has chosen 'respect and resilience' as a focus.  These themes are discussed in assembly and pupils are encouraged to explore what this means to them and how they can show our school values in their behaviour. 

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

In RE lessons and assemblies, we develop our pupils’ awareness of living in a multicultural society.  We invite members of different faith groups to visit the school, and similarly, we encourage children from different faith backgrounds to share their own beliefs and traditions within the classroom.  Visits to places of worship are arranged to support children’s learning.  Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help children to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future.  As part of demonstrating tolerance, we encourage children to understand that we are all different but that we are all welcome.  We reflect our differences in our curriculum and through our library books and through our discussions and debates.