British Values

We value and celebrate the diverse heritages of everybody at Repton Manor Primary School. Alongside this, we value and celebrate being part of Britain, celebrating traditions such as Remembrance and Harvest Festival.  We also value and celebrate other cultural traditions through our curriculum.
British values are integral to so many countries throughout the world.  Our children are taught about, and know of the values outlined below and see them as important values for all relationships.
British values play an important role in education.  The values are integral to our school ethos and therefore are promoted in so much of what we do;

  • School Assemblies (including celebration, class and phase assemblies)
  • Topic Learning and our wider curriculum (specific examples of this can be seen in the British Values table at the bottom of our Topic webs),
  • Promotion of Life Skills,
  • Our approach to behaviour and relationships,
  • Tutorials (setting personal targets)
  • Election and running of school council and sports leaders,

As well as actively promoting British values, we would actively challenge pupils, staff, parents or visitors expressing opinions contrary to these fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views.

Schools are subject to a duty (Section 26, Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015) to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the Prevent duty. Please read the government’s Prevent duty guidance and its guidance for schools.

The four core values referred to through our curriculum and demonstrated in our ethos are;

Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at Repton Manor Primary school. Democracy is central to how we operate.

An obvious example is our 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, the School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes and to make decisions on wider school issues such as the Behaviour Policy. The School Council genuinely effect change within our school; in the past, the School Council has taken part in lesson observations and feedback, completed book looks and planned play areas within the school.

In addition, we have also held a mock General Election in order to reinforce the systems used in Britain.  The children in Year 6 set up their own parties, wrote their own manifestos and the rest of the school voted for the party that they felt would best govern our school.

  • Other examples of ‘pupil voice’ are:
  • Children have input into our interview process through giving lesson feedback.
  • Children are fundamental in devising the behaviour, curriculum and assessment policies.
  • Using Pupil Feedback forms, children are asked to respond and reflect on the teaching and learning.
  • Children help to raise money for their class and decide together where to spend that money.  This is through enterprise projects within the curriculum and running stalls, which they have planned and set up, at the Christmas and Summer fayres.
  • The children have been involved in wider community projects. One example of this is where they helped to choose the name of our neighbouring community centre through a vote.
  • Children have recently trialled planning their own week of learning through ‘the thousand hour’ project.  They voted on an act of kindness and planned their learning to enable this act.
  • Our children plan their learning for their school topics.
  • Through our ethos, our entire staff know our children very well and continue to form positive relationships with families.
  • Our children are key in showing our new families and potential candidates around the school.
  • Personalised pupil targets which are set with the children in Tutorials.

Examples of ‘parent voice’ are:

  • Parent Focus Group.
  • Parent View.
  • Parent Questionnaires.
  • Open door policy with regular contact with class teachers.
  • Parent evenings.

Examples of ‘staff voice are:

  • Contributions towards the school behaviour, assessment and learning policies.
  • Staff ideas to develop our curriculum.
  • Staff questionnaires.
  • Staff meetings, phase meetings, senior Leadership meetings.
  • Performance managements.
  • Development of School Plan.

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 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.

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.

At the start of the school year, each class discusses our three school rules which are seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. 
Our three school rules are;

  • We take pride in our learning.
  • We respect each other.
  • We care for our community.

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:

  • Visits from authorities, such as the police and fire service.
  • During topic lessons and in assemblies, when rules for particular faiths, rules in different countries and historical rules are thought about.
  • During other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules – in a sports lesson, for example.

Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs.

Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment and an empowering education, we provide boundaries for our young pupils to make choices safely; for example:

  • Choices about what learning challenge or activity to complete.
  • Choices about how they record their learning.
  • Choices around the participation in extra-curricular activities.
  • Choices around what lunch they eat.
  • Choices as to whether to go inside or outside at lunch or use the lunch club.

Our pupils are encouraged to know, to understand and to exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely, such as in our e-safety and Life Skills lessons.

Repton Manor Primary School is culturally diverse and we are proud to promote and to celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs. Mutual respect is at the heart of our aims and ethos and it’s one of our three school rules: We respect each other.

Our pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences and beliefs we may have, and to everything, whether it is a school resource or a personal belonging.  Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect.

Through our curriculum, we enhance pupils understanding and respect for different faiths and beliefs by developing an awareness and appreciation of other religions and cultures.