British values

The John Warner School has embedded the advice offered by the Department for Education concerning British values in schools.  These values are:

• The value of democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect and tolerance to those of different faiths and beliefs

The school value of ‘respect’ is fundamental to the pursuance of the ‘British’ values.

The list below describes the understanding and knowledge expected of pupils as a result of schools promoting fundamental British values.

• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process;
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety;
• An understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence;
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law;
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour; and
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.

How do we promote British values across our school curriculum and co-curriculum?

We have an integrated and embedded SMSC programme which works across the curriculum and co-curriculum which gives practical effect to our school ethos and values (see Character Education above).

We strive to educate our students to have basic respect for others and for themselves.  To give them the self-confidence and self-belief to be strong citizens with a healthy respect for the institutions and values of the country and to honour those values by setting themselves high standards.

Students are taught to remain safe in the modern world through e-safety provision in lifelong learning lessons. Students are encouraged and taught to see the internet as a useful tool, but as a space in which others who might have different values and views, may seek to influence them. The school has in place a system where students concerned by anything they may read on line can discuss the matter with an appropriate adult.

Our Behaviour for Learning Policy, which is regularly reviewed, is the foundation of the attitude we expect from students and staff in our institution.

Staff and students are encouraged to live the values, and all members of the community have to treat each other with respect and tolerance.

Practically, the school curriculum and co-curriculum are designed to provide numerous examples of how British values operate.  Our aim, through the co-curriculum and SMSC provision in particular, is to:

• Enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
• Enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law in England;
• Encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
• Enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect of public institutions and services in England;
• Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect of their own and other cultures;
• Encourage respect for other people; and
• Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

All teachers are expected to uphold British values in their working classroom and by their actions around the school.  Specific strands will however be discussed in the following areas:

• RS, history, English, mathematics, science, PE and lifelong learning lessons.  In addition to those classroom-based activities, students will encounter British values and have an opportunity to reflect on them through the School Council, which represents every form in the school, through the student leadership team, the house system and the co-curriculum.
• We seek to counter extremism and grooming through an extensive programme of e-safety.
• In addition to the above, the school assembly structure is designed to support British values and to encourage students to be reflective on them.  This policy is regularly reviewed and we seek to give practical effect to implement British values as our highest priority.