British Values

British Values Statement

The Department for Education has introduced a statutory duty for schools to promote British Values more actively from September 2014, and to ensure they are taught in schools.

Phoenix Infant and Nursery School is fully committed to serving its community. It recognises the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.

It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. Phoenix Infant and Nursery School is dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal, examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all.

The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. As well as actively promoting these values, the opposite also applies: we would actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views.

Our general duty is to:

Eliminate unlawful discrimination, victimisation and harassment
Advance equality of opportunity between those with protected characteristics and those without
Foster positive relations between people with protected characteristics and those without.

The five key British Values are:

Democracy
The rule of law
Individual liberty
Mutual respect
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

The school uses strategies within the national curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students. The examples that follow show some of the many ways Phoenix Infant and Nursery Schools seeks to instil British Values.

Examples of celebrating British Values

In general terms, this means that we celebrate traditions and customs in the course of the year; for example, Harvest Festival during the autumn term and pantomime theatre groups in at Christmas, Chinese New Year etc. As a whole school, Remembrance Day celebrations are held annually where children purchase poppies and a minute's silence is held in a dedicated Remembrance Assembly. A member of the community comes in to talk to the children about his relative who fought in WW2.

Every Christmas the performances of Foundation Stage and KS1 children are based on the Christian faith with a traditional Nativity play.

We have celebrated the World Cup and the Olympics, with Olympic themed sports days.

For the past 3 years the school has held a traditional Garden Party with a variety of themes such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. We also have a Great Phoenix Bake Off as part of the event.

Democracy

The school has a newly formed Phoenix Parliament. In the Autumn Term 2015 the children spent time finding out what democracy was through assemblies. There are thirty members of parliament at Phoenix, representing six key areas; Behaviour and Safety, Lunch and Playtimes, Enjoyment, Challenge, Environment, Learning. The MP’s were each voted for by their classes in elections held in December. In January 2016, local MP, Vernon Coaker launched our Parliament. The MPs for Lunch and Playtimes have spent time reviewing the play equipment and have designed a questionnaire to find out how to spend the play budget. The Environment MPs have begun a milk carton recycling scheme and incentive.

Pupil questionnaires are completed each term with the results fed back to teachers and to the governing body. Parents’ opinions are welcomed at Phoenix through methods such as questionnaires, surveys at parents evenings, working groups for areas such as review of the Anti- Bullying Policy and through parents and carers feeling welcome through our ‘open door’ policy which in turn ensures the community feels its ‘voice’ is heard.

The rule of law

The children at Phoenix understand that the school rules are in place to keep the children safe, happy and able to learn. There are six Golden Rules. The behaviour policy is clear and understood by the children.We consistently reinforce our high expectations of children. Children are taught the value and reasons behind our expectations (rules) that they are there to protect us, that everyone has a responsibility and that there are consequences when rules are broken.

Individual liberty

There are many opportunities within the school day for children to make choices and exercise their personal freedom. Boundaries are set clearly and reinforced consistently to ensure the school is a safe environment through the schools policies linked to Behaviour and Anti-Bullying. Children are supported and encouraged to manage their own behaviour and make good choices. Through assemblies and PSHE children learn about their personal freedoms and take part in discussions about how to exercise these safely, for example through e-safety, road safety. Children have opportunities to make choices in their learning, choose from a range of clubs and choose playtime activities.

Mutual respect

Children at Phoenix are encouraged to treat each other with respect, using good manners to all the school community and showing kindness. Kindness and Good Manners are rewarded with certificates each week at our Special Assembly. Adults in school model mutual respect in their conversations and actions towards the children and towards one another.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

We aim to enhance children’s understanding of different faiths and beliefs by participating in a range of celebrations throughout the year. We help the children to understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity. Assemblies are planned to give children the opportunity to reflect on a variety of beliefs, cultures and moral values. The local vicar has delivered an assembly on caring for animals as well as supported art activities during culture week. The children have had ‘hands on, practical’ Hinduism and Judaism experiences led by an external provider. The RE curriculum, following the Nottinghamshire Agreed Syllabus is planned carefully to allow opportunities for discussion about people’s diverse and different beliefs. Through this work the children are equipped with the knowledge that will enable them to understand and respect peoples’ belief systems. Links have been made with a local Special School and staff from there came to talk about their work with the Makuni School in Zambia. Through the SEAL assembly themes children are taught how to respect by talking about how actions and words can affect others. Culture wheels are used to find out about the children’s backgrounds. Culture week in the Autumn Term is a celebration of diversity. Each class finds out about a different country (often a country linked to children in the school) and then teaches the rest of the school during an assembly at the end of the week. All About Me books are used as part of the transition into school to develop the link between home and school and are able to celebrate the diversity of our families.