British Values
By promoting fundamental British values, the understanding and knowledge that Eastbury wishes to promote in all of its pupils encompasses:
- Influencing decision-making through the democratic process
- Living under the rule of law and knowing that this protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety
- A separation of power between the executive and the judiciary e.g. the courts maintain independence
- The freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs, and that this is protected in law
- An acceptance that other people have different faiths or beliefs to oneself, or have none, and this should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
- An understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.
Actions that Eastbury has taken to ensure an outstanding, whole-school approach:
- Included in suitable parts of the curriculum, as appropriate for the age of pupils, material on the strengths, advantages and disadvantages of democracy, and how democracy and the law works in Britain
- Ensured that all pupils within the school have a voice e.g. our School Council and the voice of our student representatives, Prefects and Peer Mediators
- Used opportunities such as general or local elections to hold mock elections to promote fundamental British values and provide pupils with the opportunity to learn how to argue and defend points of view
- Used teaching resources from a wide variety of sources to help pupils understand a range of faiths
- Considered the role of extra-curricular activity, including any run directly by pupils, in promoting fundamental British values.
- Established a well-run, multi-faith, mixed-gender prayer room, supervised by members of staff in a safe and appropriate environment
- Utilised our in-school, advisory borough consultant to ensure the promotion and practice of SMSC and British Values throughout the curriculum
- Followed a detailed, established pastoral programme during tutor time
- Promoted the importance of reflection time, in all assemblies, for students to consider how their faith and beliefs lead them to behave positively towards one another
- Shared our SMSC curriculum map with SACRE, the LBBD advisory group for RE and collective worship, as an example of good practice to share with other schools.
