We teach children that Britain has its own Core Values, that bind us all together as a country, and that make all who live here special.
Democracy
Rule of law
Individual liberty
Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
We teach through our curriculum and beyond to ensure our children understand British Values and how they link to St.Mary's Core Christian Values, and relate to us all. Here are some examples of when British values are shared:
Our curriculum prepares children for life in British Society; this includes developing the understanding and use of money, effective reading and writing skills, collaboration and discussion to research ideas and concepts. Curriculum themes include historical and geographical study in the context of the United Kingdom as well as national and international comparisons. Topic examples: World War II, The Great Fire of London and Ancient Greece and the origins of Democracy.
Some of our whole school assemblies are focussed on the fundamental British Values. We also have ‘Picture News’ assemblies, where news from across the world is shared with the children. During these assemblies, links are made to the fundamental British Values.
Respect is taught within formal JIGSAW, PSHE and RE lessons and in an informal nature throughout the school day. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety policy and PSHE work on keeping myself safe.
Respect for all faiths and beliefs is promoted in the teaching of RE as children gain a greater understanding of religious diversity and practices for those religions represented in our school and the UK. Planning for RE is directed by the Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education (SACRE) and we follow the agreed syllabus for Somerset. The local Churches and other places of worship are visited as part of the RE curriculum. Children are encouraged to talk about their faith and learn about different festivals throughout the year.
Promotion of the concept of “fair play”, following and developing rules, celebrating and rewarding success, accepting defeat and participating in activities that promote cooperation with others and inclusion for all form an integral part of the PE curriculum, and our extra curricular sporting calendar.
St.Mary’s CofE Primary School promotes democratic processes through the election of pupil leadership teams. This fosters the concept of freedom of speech and group action to address needs and concerns. Children see how they are listened to and how their actions can produce results when the processes are followed.
In recent years, we celebrated the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II with special events, assemblies and themed lessons. We marked the Coronation of King Charles with a special whole school picnic. Each year Armistice Day is remembered and children are encouraged to reflect on this. Our Year 6 children take part in a service at the War Memorial in Timsbury and lay a wreath on behalf of the School.
Through talking to our community we ensure that we move forward in a mutually respectful and tolerant way. Our children perform in a nativity play, and sing Carols. We also celebrate Eid, Diwali and Chinese New Year. We invite parents in to talk to staff to give us greater understanding of different faiths, but work together to ensure we emphasise not what is different, but what we all have in common; our School Core Values, and the values of modern Britain.