British Values

Preparing children for life in modern Britain.

It is ours, and every school’s responsibility “to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

At Eltham Church of England Primary School we promote these values in the following ways:

Democracy

Children decide upon their class rules and the rights and responsibilities associated with these. Every child and staff member abides by these rules. The children and staff actively engage with each other to create harmonious learning environments where everyone is responsible for the rules.

Eltham Church of England Primary School has a Pupil Voice group whose members are voted in each year by their peers. Children write a statement to support their proposal to be their class representative and the children decide who will best represent them. Children understand that a place on the Pupil Voice group comes with the responsibility of expressing their peers’ needs and interests.

Democracy is demonstrated through the children regularly getting opportunities to express their views in school through Pupil Voice interviews and questionnaires. In the past, Pupil Voice have informed our decisions for themed weeks, have helped select replacement reading materials for book corners and play equipment for use at lunchtime.

The school’s vision and values statement was created in collaboration with the children and parents. All children, parents, and carers as well as members of staff and governors were consulted in the development of this statement.

The Rule of Law

Behaviour and safety at Eltham Church of England Primary School is outstanding and is seen as key feature of life at the school and the entire school community. Children know what is expected of them, why rules are so important, and what the consequences are if they do not follow them. Children at Eltham Church of England Primary School are well aware of what an exciting curriculum they learn in and that their sustained excellent behaviour enables them to become learners of the highest calibre.

Eltham Church of England Primary School is a Restorative Approaches School that means that if incidents happen, relationships break down, or someone is harmed then all staff and children will use Restorative Approaches to restore, repair and reintegrate to balance the outcomes from the rule of law with forgiveness and restoration.

Individual Liberty

Eltham Church of England Primary School is a safe place for children and cultivates an atmosphere in which children can make choices about their school life in a supportive environment.

We educate our pupils to know that they have boundaries within which they may make choices safely, through the provision of a nurturing mindset and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand, and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and RSE lessons. Whether it is through choice of challenge, of how they record, or of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices. From the very start of their school life children are encouraged to challenge their personal best by making them owners of their own learning. Children regularly have next steps shared with them, whether verbally or with written feedback in books so they know exactly what they can do to progress.

Mutual Respect

The respect demonstrated by the staff, children, parents and school community at Eltham Church of England Primary School is a feature of the school’s ethos and values. The school and children are continually receiving positive and complimentary comments from parents, visitors as well as the general public when out on trips. The ethos of our school nurtures this understanding of mutual respect and it underpins the engaging and exciting teaching and learning that happens here. School life at Eltham Church of England Primary School abides by our values of: Friendship, Honesty, Love, Resilience, Forgiveness, Understanding, Wisdom, Enthusiasm, Respect, Sharing and Humility. The children and all staff connected to our school understand these and work in a manner that encourages everyone to achieve to their highest ability.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. We are lucky to be situated in a London Borough that is rich in both cultures and languages.

Reverend Caroline regularly holds times of Collective Worship in the school and furthermore, we learn about the other faiths and beliefs held at Eltham Church of England Primary School through whole-school assemblies where we celebrate and learn about the religious festivals that happen throughout the school year. We harness these cultural links in our classes and because Religious Education is taught as a core subject at Eltham Church of England Primary School, alongside Christianity each year group learns about another major religion each year.

With a carefully planned and sequenced curriculum, working alongside the fully embedded ethos of “What does the Lord require of you?” to… ‘Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly with your God’, we strive to ensure that children who attend Eltham Church of England Primary School are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.