British Values

Democracy plays a key role within the day to day life of our academy. Students have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our Academy Council and play a part in our staff recruitment process. Student representatives as well as our Prefects and Head Boy and Girl are selected through an election process.

Through the English curriculum, students are taught the skill of debating and voting and we participate in an annual national debating competition.

The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the academy or the country, are reinforced during the academy day, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through assemblies and the PSHCE programme. Students are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from community authority figures such as the PCSO help reinforce this message. We have adopted a restorative practice approach to student behaviour, in which children are taught how to accept responsibility for their actions. All students sign an ICT Acceptable Usage Policy.

Within the academy, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms as well teaching them that how they act can impact positively and negatively on others. They are advised how to exercise these freedoms safely, for example through our e-Safety and PSHCE lessons. Whether it is through choice of challenge, how they record work or participate in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Respect for each other, for our academy and to others in our community is an integral part of our school ethos and Behaviour Policy. Pupils see staff model this by treating each other with respect and courtesy and we promote this in the way our pupils interact with each other in their classes and during social times. Mutual respect and fair play is also discussed within sporting activities. We teach pupils about the unfairness of discrimination based on someone’s faith, culture or beliefs through the RE and PSHCE programmes of study. We run charity events to actively promote mutual respect for all groups in society.

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society. Opportunities to share and discuss this message occur through assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been promoted through RE, PSHCE and ‘Anti-Bullying’ work, as well as taking opportunities to tackle this during every day school life.