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Our British Values

All British schools promote British Values through school life and through the curriculum, in order to promote a successful and supportive society where all can live well. As a church school, our Christian values are the foundational expectations of attitude and relationships on which our school is built; they are the principles which guide the thinking and behaviour of all involved in the school. The ways in which staff, children and governors articulate and demonstrate these are part of our distinctiveness as a church school. Our understanding and promotion of British Values is informed by our Christian vision and values. We aim to see 'Every Child Flourishing' and part of this will be through the way they live and their relationships with their families, friends and others they meet on life's journey. 

British Values are taught and promoted implicitly and explicitly; this may be in aspects of the curriculum and in Collective Worship. Any child, member of staff or parent expressing views contrary to our Christian values or the British Values would be challenged.

Here are some of the ways in which British Values are promoted at The Gerrards Cross CE School:

Democracy:

Our Christian values of 'love' and 'community' underpin all relationships in the school. We believe that all people are equal and precious in God's sight, and all have the right to speak and be listened to.

Our School Council meets termly and through its processes, all pupils are able to give their views on aspects of school life, and be part of school decision making. Year 6 pupils elect their own House Captains each year, bestowing on them the privileges and responsibilities of their role. Democracy is taught explicitly through the curriculum in subjects such as History and English, and through PSHE discussions and debates.We aim to enable our Year 6 pupils to engage with the democratic process each year, either via the children visiting to the Houses of Commons, or our Member of Parliament visiting us in school and spending time with the children.

Rule of law:

In our school, rules enable children to learn well and feel safe: adhering to them is part of our respect and care for each other and links with our Christian value of 'love'.

Each class creates its own rules at the beginning of each school year; these are then reinforced and discussed during the year, with emphasis on the reason for the rule, and ensuring that each rule contributes to the creation of a fair and safe school. Visits from the police,  as well as class discussions when things go wrong, reinforce the importance of rules and our responsibility as part of school, local and national communities. Older children will also debate laws, such as those relating to slavery and gender or race discrimination, as part of their development towards being engaged citizens, working to make the world a fairer place for all.

Individual liberty:

Our school Vision Statement describes our aim to ensure that every child flourishes in our care. We seek to develop the self-esteem and self-confidence of individual children so that they can make the most of their gifts and abilities.

PSHE, online safety and other personal wellbeing activities such as anti-bullying weeks teach children how to make wise choices and keep themselves safe; and the importance of taking responsibility for their own behaviour. Pupils are encouraged to contribute their opinions in lessons and discussions, and so are taught the value of free speech and thought, and the importance of listening to the views of others.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of different faiths and belief :

With 'community' as one of our core Christian values, we seek to ensure that all members of our school are respected and valued. Collective Worship frequently underlines the importance of the way we behave towards each other, and the model of respect and love for others that we have in Jesus.

Differences and uniqueness are celebrated throughout school life, and pupils are taught to challenge prejudice and any unkind or discriminating behaviour. The RE curriculum enables children to learn about and from different faiths and cultures, and visits to different places of worship enrich learning. Children learn to listen, question and challenge with an attitude of respect throughout their time at this school.

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