The introduction of British Values was to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background. We teach the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs. This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.
These values are officially taught through the Religious Education (RE) and Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) curriculum and are further nurtured through the school’s ethos and promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) understanding.
Democracy
- We value the contribution all of our children make to school life and seek to provide them with a variety of opportunities to influence decision making which allows their voices to be heard: school ambassadors, eco club and regular pupil voice surveys.
- Our school ambassadors go through a democratic process whereby they apply for the position and take part in a recruitment process that can involve interviews, discussions or presentations to others.
- We encourage our parents to participate in decision making within our school through parent forum parent surveys, parent feedback questionnaires and open mornings with senior leaders.
- Our staff are excellent role models who develop strong, respectful relationships with one another, the children and parents. We encourage an open door policy to discuss any concerns and work together to resolve them.
- We provide opportunities for our children to see how democracy works within the wider community through invitations to our local MP and by following local and national elections.
Rule of Law
- Rules and boundaries are a part of life. We discuss why they are important and what would happen if we didn’t have them. Laws provide us with protection, they help us to take responsibility for our actions and realise that there are consequences.
- The children have been a part of drawing up our school rules: ‘The Treleigh Way’. Every aspect of school life can be encapsulated by these rules. Staff and children know and value them.
- Our core values of: Respect, Thrive, Prepare are at the heart of what we teach.
- We promote respect for those who enforce the law and encourage a strong link with our local PSCO.
Individual Liberty
- Our children are encouraged to take responsibility for their own actions but to also expect to be treated with respect from others.
- We do not tolerate bullying of any kind and this is dealt with quickly.
- We provide a safe and supportive environment where our children are encouraged to be independent in their learning.
- We provide guidance on how to make safe choices through eg: E-safety measures, whole school assemblies, road safety, cycling proficiency, swimming tuition, our SMSC Curriculum taught through the SCARF Scheme and our Religious Education.
Mutual Respect
- Be Respectful is one of our Treleigh Way values. All our children are encouraged to demonstrate respect for everyone they meet and to respect the environment in which we live.
- Children are expected to take responsibility for how they treat each other and how they make one another feel by their actions.
- If children see others being disrespectful we encourage them to stand up for what is right, speak out and help others to see why their actions are inappropriate.
Tolerance and Respect for Different Faiths and Beliefs
- At Treleigh, children are reminded of their place in a culturally diverse society. This is achieved through our Religious Education Curriculum and the spiritual life of our school.
- We encourage our pupils from different faiths or religions to share their knowledge with their peers to enhance their learning.
- We actively promote respect for individual differences.
- Our whole school assemblies promote the diversity of society and the rights of each person to be respected and valued equally regardless of ability, gender, faith, heritage or race.
- Through our behaviour policy we challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour of any kind.