British Values

"Pupils benefit from a well-developed curriculum for religious education.
This makes a major contribution to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain and teaching them about British values."

- Ofsted December 2017

At St Mary’s we wish our pupils to have the skills and attitudes which will enable them to play a positive part in life in Britain. We promote the British values defined by the government:

Democracy, The Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect, Tolerance of different Faiths and Beliefs.

As well as promoting and encouraging these values we also challenge any member of our school community who expresses or demonstrates opinion which opposes these values. Respect, love and forgiveness are the fundamental elements of everyday life at St Mary’s. This allows us to work with our children in promoting British values across the curriculum.

Democracy

We teach our pupils about democracy through class forums and discussions. They understand that this is not possible in all countries of the world and are encouraged to have their own views and opinions, this can be through a class vote or a topical discussion. We also have had visits from the local MP and councillors.

Rule of Law

The children understand that there are rules and that these are to keep them safe, it also helps them understand between what is morally right and wrong. We have visits from the local police, whilst also celebrating achievements through our Golden lunches.

Individual Liberty

Children are encouraged to express themselves, challenge stereotyping and always be careful not to cause offence to others who have contrary viewpoints.

Mutual respect

At St Mary’s we encourage our children to treat each other the way they would like to be treated. We do this through our mentoring sessions, RE lessons, anti-bullying activities, and sharing work. Our Growth Mindset assemblies allow the whole school to share this respect alongside our mission statement.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Religion

We celebrate that everyone is a child of God and is unique and special. Our children learn about different religions and beliefs through assemblies, visits to places of worship e.g. Temples, Mosques, visitors e.g. Rabbi, Hindu dancers, Remembrance Assembly, Holocaust assembly, Inclusivity for all, assemblies and lessons which challenge prejudice.