British Values
We embed British Values at St. Bernadette's as an integral part of our taught curriculum, the enrichment and wider opportunities we plan for and via whole school assemblies. The following is an indication of our approach rather than an exhaustive list.
Democracy: Democracy is an integral part of our school life. Children have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and Pupil questionnaires. Our children are consulted about, and involved in, many key decisions that are made at St Bernadette's.
The Rule of Law: The importance of laws/rules, whether they be those that apply to a class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced. Children are taught the value and reasons behind laws/rules, that they direct and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. We have strong links with our community police team who visit classes regularly. The officers have spoken to pupils in early years about their role and how they help us right up to Year 6 where they discuss anti-social behaviour (with a particular focus on current local issues) and how they can keep themselves safe.
Mutual Respect: Through our ongoing work, our Values curriculum, PSHE lessons and whole school assemblies and collective worship, we strive to nurture a sense of what it is to be fully human and alive as children and adults sharing and living together in our increasingly complex and diverse community and beyond. Our policies including: Behaviour, Anti-bullying and Child on Child abuse policies provide children with clear expectations and systems for reporting when they feel they are not being respected by others.
Tolerance of those with different faiths/beliefs: As part of our Religious Education curriculum, we study in depth other world faiths. We enrich this learning in a real world context through our 'Diversity Weeks.' During these weeks, we invite faith leaders from across the region into school to be part of a 'Question Time' session. This provides pupils with a real life awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities as a basis for understanding and respecting them.
Individual Liberties: We encourage students to be as independent as possible in all of their learning. We support this with a rich celebration of learning. This allows children to reflect on their strengths in learning and those of their peers.