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.

Temple Normanton Junior Academy is committed to serving its community. It recognises the multicultural, 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. Temple Normanton Junior Academy 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 its students.

The government has identified (Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC (spiritual, moral, social and cultural) in schools, Nov 14) that schools should promote the fundamental British values of:

Democracy

The rule of law

Individual liberty

Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Actively promoting the values means challenging opinions in school that are contrary to fundamental British values. It is therefore important that as a school through our provision of SMSC that we should:

• enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence;
• enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England;
• encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
• enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England;
• further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling
• students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures;
• encourage respect for other people; and
• encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

As a result of the promotion of fundamental British values at Temple Normanton Junior Academy we aim for our pupils to gain the following knowledge and understanding:

• an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process; an appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety;
• an understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence;
• an understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law;
• an acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour; and
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.

At Temple Normanton we use strategies within the curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students. The examples that follow show some of the many ways we seek to promote fundamental British values.

DEMOCRACY

We have a school council, and Sports Ambassadors. These are voted by their class mates and have to provide the reasons and arguments why they should be voted to have the responsibility they desire. The school council make a difference and have made decisions that have led to improvements in provision.  We provide pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services (police visits etc., local councillors explaining what they do). The police and Fire Brigade make visits into school to talk to the children around a range of aspects of their work and to help children to stay safe. One of our governors is a local councillor and he visits school to talk to the children.  As part of our curriculum we provide regular opportunities for children to persuade each other or others of something and as a results are giving children the opportunity to demonstrate they are able to come to a reasoned view.  We provide many opportunities for pupils to express their views about a range of subjects and value pupil voice. We have regular opportunities where children are able to give their own view point.

THE RULE OF LAW

Our school rules are clear and are understood by the children. They are discussed regularly during assemblies and they are consistently used by all staff. Our behaviour policy is clear and it provides clear guidelines for the children and staff to follow and as a result children have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong and the consequences of breaking the rules. We teach children that rules are important in a variety of ways. E.G. rules for games

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY

One of our central aims is to ensure pupils develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence. We recognise that this is cornerstone around which everything else can be created. We work hard to build children’s self-knowledge through the feedback children receive using formative assessment techniques including, developmental marking and peer and self-evaluation. Our ethos is one of celebration and we work hard to ensure we provide positive feedback to our pupils on a regular basis. Our behaviour policy is weighted towards celebration of good work and behaviour. Children at Temple Normanton are self-confident and they demonstrate this regularly when speaking in front of each other and to adults from both within and outside of school.

We encouraging pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights. We work hard to ensure pupils know and feel that they are dealt with in a fair and equitable way. We regularly challenge stereo types and are quick to deal with any form of discriminatory behaviour. This includes anti bullying. Bullying is not tolerated at Temple Normanton and is dealt with quickly if it occurs. Children have a good understanding of bullying and its many forms as we discuss this with them regularly.

MUTUAL RESPECT AND TOLERANCE OF THOSE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS AND BELIEFS

We work hard to promote the respect for individual differences and also celebrate this. We work in an environment of mutual respect and understanding of each other. Through assemblies, RE and SMSC we help pupils to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life. Prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour is challenged robustly. Children make visits to places of worship.  We discuss differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender or sexuality and differences of family situations such as looked after children or young carers