The Department for Education has reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”
The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values have been reiterated annually since.
At Belmont we promote these values in the following ways:
Democracy
At the beginning of each year pupils affirm the school’s expectations outlined in our code of conduct. This also informs the creation of a class code of conduct which is negotiated in every classroom on the first day of the academic year and revisited each new term. Pupils are encouraged to think about their rights and responsibilities associated with these agreements.
The Belmont Parliament is made up of elected members from each class in Year 2 and KS2. Members are voted in each year by their peers. Pupils write a statement to support their proposal to be their class representative and an election is held to select the preferred candidate. Pupils have the opportunity to cast their votes and this is staffed by the pupils. It is widely understood that a place on Belmont Parliament comes with the responsibility of representing their peers’ needs and interests.
We encourage children to be leaders throughout the school and the roles of House Captains and Vice Captains, Sports Captain, Maths Captain and Music Captain are roles to which pupils can aspire. Captains play an important role in promoting positive behaviour and contributing to the organisation of school events and activities. Pupils from Key Stage 2 can apply to be play leaders through the PlayMakers programme at lunch and play times in Reception and Key Stage 1. They have specific time slots during which they are on duty and are responsible for encouraging all children to take part at playtime, for example by inviting them into games. Year 6 pupils also undertake a number of monitor duties before and during the school day.
Democracy is taught during our weekly current affairs, through our participation in UNICEF's Rights Respecting School programme, our assemblies and during class-based PSHE sessions. Pupils also have the opportunity to express their views in school through our pupil termly newsletter, parent fortnightly newsletter which has a pupil voice section and by discussing any ideas with staff.
The Rule of Law
Positive behaviour and pupil safety at Belmont is a core priority. Pupils clearly understand the rules of the school, why these are so important, and what the consequences are if they do not follow them. At Belmont, we encourage our pupils to see the school as a ‘mini-version of society.’ This prepares them for life in the wider world.
At Belmont we ensure pupils recognise the importance of rights and responsibilities. Pupils are encouraged to manage their own relationships and use taught strategies to do so. We want all children in our school to be resilient and independent. Through whole school approaches to conflict resolution, we enable pupils to develop the language and strategies to solve conflict and right wrongs.
We also have a close working relationship with the local community police who attend assemblies and deliver sessions to classes. Our Junior Traffic Ambassadors also work closely with the LA to encourage families to adhere to the rules of the road around our school.
Individual Liberty
At Belmont, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our Rights Respecting School participation, assemblies, current affairs sessions, eSafety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of our school’s core values. Assemblies teach the importance of respect for self and others. Pupils demonstrate their respect for each other and their respective achievements through our weekly celebration and half term achiever awards. Pupils are encouraged to nominate each other to receive a Headteacher postcard with a specific focus on our values.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
Belmont reflects our culturally diverse society. As such, we provide opportunities for pupils to experience such diversity. We use London as a powerful resource to enrich pupils’ learning experiences whenever possible. Our whole-school assemblies are used to celebrate and learn about the numerous religious festivals that happen throughout the school year. Through our curriculum, pupils experience influences from all over the world in their classrooms. Every class is named after an artist from a range of media and backgrounds and each class studies the artist they are named after through our curriculum offer and their own study. Our core values ensure children develop respect for the person; developing strong and lasting relationships that enable the community to be strong and cohesive
