British Values at Thursfield

The government set out their definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy. These were reinforced in September 2014 due to recent events. These new regulations will sit alongside the requirements of the Equalities Act, which also applies to all types of schools.

Schools will be expected to focus on, and be able to show, how our work with pupils is effective in embedding fundamental British values.

Promoting British values at Thursfield

We agree with the Department for Education’s five-part definition of British values:

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

At Thursfield students will encounter these principles throughout everyday school life. The curriculum is mapped in detail across the whole school. Listed below are some examples of how we promote these values in our school community:

Democracy

Pupil voice is significant in regards to life at Thursfield. Our pupil elected school learning council plays a strong role in our school. They are elected by their class peers and are involved in making Thursfield a better place to learn. Pupils have a great amount of input in regards to what and how they learn, which promotes pupil voice. For example, the pupils decide as a class how they would like to learn certain skills in subjects and this is used to inform the teacher’s planning.

Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted throughout the year. We know that the formation of the school learning council and the active participation of our pupils will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

The Rule of Law

Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to.

This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum. The children create their individual class charters at the very start of the year, each class present this in the first whole school assembly and explain why they have chosen these rules!

Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including police, war veterans, the fire brigade and many more. We believe that clear explanations and real life stories emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils.

Individual Liberty

We invest a great deal of time in creating a positive culture in our school, so that children are in a safe environment where choices and freedoms are encouraged. 

We offer a range of extracurricular clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests, including homework, reading, art and craft, football and many more clubs.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the core of our school life. Students learn to treat each other and staff with great respect. This is evident when walking around Thursfield and in the classrooms. 

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At Thursfield we offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected. At Thursfield we strongly believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help children to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future. We have presentations across the school displaying information on many different religions, we have also ran RE days within which EVERY class in the school went on a trip to see a place of worship and learn about a different religions.