British Values at Parkside Primary School

Promoting British values at Parkside

• Democracy • The Rule of Law • Individual Liberty • Mutual Respect • Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

At Parkside, pupils will encounter these principles throughout everyday school life.

The curriculum is mapped in detail across the whole school. Listed below are some examples of how we promote these values in our school community:

Democracy

Pupil voice is significant in regards to life at Parkside. Our pupil elected 'Pupil Voice' play a strong role in our school. They are elected by their class peers and are involved in making Parkside a better place to learn. Pupils have a great amount of input in regards to what and how they learn, which promotes pupil voice. 

Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted throughout the year. For example, a lunchtime questionnaire to find out what children like and dislike about lunchtimes and how we can make them even better for the children. 

The Rule of Law

Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to.

This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum. The children create their individual class charters at the very start of the year, each class present this in the first whole school assembly and explain why they have chosen these rules.

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

We invest a great deal of time in creating a positive culture in our school, so that children are in a safe environment where choices and freedoms are encouraged. 

We offer a range of extracurricular clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests, including: reading, art and craft, football, Shakespeare, netball and many more clubs.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the core of our school life. Students learn to treat each other and staff with great respect. This is evident when walking around Parkside and in the classrooms. Our School motto is, “Come as you are and leave as a champion” and this motto is seen throughout the school, in classrooms and play areas alike.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At Parkside, we offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected. At Parkside, we strongly believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. 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 well as living and breathing these principles on a daily basis, we have recently started to introduce a termly, 'British Values Day.' Throughout this day, each year group is given a value to focus on and complete some work around. This learning is then shared with the whole school. Watch this space for some updates on these days...

Impact

• Children will become responsible, respectful, active citizens of Britain who contribute positively to society

• Children will achieve academic success and be of good character, celebrating what we have in common and promoting respect for the different protected characteristics as defined by law

• Children will leave school with an understanding and respect for democracy, the rule of law and individual liberty

• Children will continue their education journey showing their mutual respect and tolerance to all creeds and faiths