King Richard III Infant and Nursery School

We can do it! We never give up - anything is possible!

British Values

Promoting British Values at King Richard III Infant School

The DfE reinforces the need to “create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

At KRIII we have shared and reflected upon what British values mean to us. Tolerance and respect are values which are reinforced regularly and in age-appropriate ways. We want our school community to be proud of their nation and to understand how they can contribute as citizens. We understand that this important process begins at a very early age and we seek to nurture this at KRIII.

Democracy

We have a School Council with members from Year One and Year Two. The aim of the School Council's meetings is to seek the children’s views and opinions on a range of school issues. The council members feed back to their class and they collect class views which they represent at the meeting. They also take a lead in promoting charitable events in school.

Our children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We understand the need for their opinions and views to be at the centre of our decision making. For example, at the start of each new topic the children are consulted about what they would like to find out and what questions they would like to have answered. Teachers’ planning of the topic will then subsequently incorporate opportunities to discover the answers.

Staff model the democratic process on a daily basis by inviting questions and sharing views through discussion. Our children are taught explicitly to verbalise their thinking, to consider the greater good and be aware of the needs of others. During circle time all children are given opportunities to speak in an informal and secure setting.

During Child Initiated Learning all children are developing their decision making skills and learning to make informed choices and take responsibility for them

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at King Richard III Infant School. Visits from authorities, such as the Police and Fire Service, help reinforce this message.

Despite our pupils being very young, children are taught from an early age the rules of the school. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind our school Golden Rules, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when rules are broken. Each class also agrees its own class rules at the start of each academic year.

Individual liberty

Within school, children are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Whether it be through choice of learning challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

As a school, we educate and provide boundaries for children to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and empowering education. For example, through our PSHE sessions we discuss different choices that the children can make and encourage them to make the right choices. In a simple way we look at E-safety and the importance of keeping yourself safe by choosing not to share personal information.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Those With Different Faiths or Beliefs

Our whole school ethos is built around mutual respect and tolerance. We are an inclusive school where everyone is valued and has a contribution to make to the school. Through discussions and assemblies we explore what respect means and how this can be shown to others. Respect is promoted around the school and is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules; our daily conversations and expectations as well as through our behaviour policy.

Annual events such as Anti-bullying week are celebrated by all members of the school community and the school supports a variety of charities each year. For example, each year children raise funds for Children in Need, Red Nose Day/Sports Relief, British Heart Foundation etc. and they are encouraged to donate food during the Harvest Festival which is given to support a local homeless charity.

At KRIII we value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all our children and families. Assemblies are regularly planned and through the inclusion of stories we celebrate a variety of faiths and cultures. Our RE, PSHE and flexible curriculum teaching reinforce this.

We actively seek opportunities to enhance children’s understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity through whole school celebration assemblies. We provide opportunities for the children to visit places of worship and we actively encourage visitors from a range of communities and organisations into school. We are very proud to be part of such a diverse and harmonious community.

Our school aims and vision capture all of these values:

Aims and Vision Statement

We aim to be a fully inclusive school where equality of opportunity is a reality for all.

We pay close attention to the different groups within our school to ensure that all, regardless of age, gender, disability, ethnicity or background are given every opportunity to contribute, learn and achieve to the highest standards.

We believe that values such as kindness, respect, love and honesty are very important and we work hard to ensure our richly diverse and multi cultural community live together in harmony.

We offer a learning culture of high expectations and quality teaching that encourages independence, a growth mindset and a belief that all can succeed.

We can do it, we never give up, because anything is possible!

British Values at KRIII