At Iceni Academy, we develop and promote British Values throughout our school and within our curriculum. We reinforce and promote British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

 

Democracy:

Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. Classes hold annual elections in order to select two school council members for each class. The school council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by pupils. 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 etc. Made up of two representatives from each class, the School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. The council can decide on improvements they feel need to be made around the school or how certain budgets are spent e.g playground equipment and they also come up with ideas to raise money for charities.

Other examples of ‘pupil voice’ are:

• children agree their Class Code of Conduct charter at the beginning of the year
• children have the opportunity to nominate and vote for others to receive a certificate – this is called our ‘Ambassador certificate’  
• using Pupil feedback forms, children are asked to respond and reflect on the teaching and learning - normally completed on parents evening.

 

Rule of Law

 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 Religious Education, when rules for particular faiths are thought about
• during other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules – in a sports lesson, for example
• class councillors go on a trip to  visit the Houses of Parliament and are taught how the rule of law is fundamental to our society

 

Individual liberty

Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons.  Pupils are given the freedom to make choices in a variety of ways. For example, they have choice of challenge in lessons, of participation in our range of extra-curricular clubs, choice of activities at Whole school reward time and what food option they would like for lunch every day.

 

Mutual respect

Mutual respect is modelled by the staff’s own conduct and is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy. We also have a multi-cultural day where children try foods from different cultures and each class focusses on a different county and its cultures.

Through Religious Education and other lessons  children are given opportunities  to develop awareness and appreciation of other cultures – For example - in English through fiction and in Art by considering culture from other parts of the world.

 

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:

Within our school we constantly promote tolerance towards others from different backgrounds, cultures, languages, faiths and beliefs.  We enhance pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. We learn about different faiths and beliefs in our RE lessons and members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within the school. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school.
 

At Iceni we will actively challenge pupils, staff, parents or anyone in the school community expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including 'extremist' views.