British Values
British Values
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School is an inclusive school underpinned by our Mission Statement of “Serving with Love, Striving for Excellence.” Our children are our raison d’ etre as we prepare them to take their place in society, empowering them to become responsible citizens who will contribute positively, locally, nationally and globally.
The core British values include:
Democracy
We teach children that Britain is a democracy – this means that the people in Britain vote for the people who make the laws and decide how the country is run. If we didn’t have a democracy, just one person might be able to make all the laws and that would not be fair.
In a similar way, our School Officers are nominated by their peers and participate in elections with children from Key Stage 2 and staff voting for the posts of Head Girl, Head Boy and their deputies. These then work with school council representatives from KS2 to help communicate the views of pupils and come up with creative solutions to problems. Another example of classes demonstrating a democratic solution is choosing their reward following the filling of the Class Behaviour Bead Jar.
Individual Liberty
In Britain, as long as we do not break the law, we can live as we choose to and have our own opinions about things.
Children are encouraged to make “Good” choices by all adults employed working within our school. Such choices are constantly reinforced by themes covered in PSCHE lessons. Through a system of DOJO points children’s behaviour and attitude to learning is fostered and enhanced, and whole class rewards systems promote collective responsibility for high standards. Children in positions of responsibility are encouraged to be positive role models for their peers.
E-Safety plays are a vitally important part in the life of our school as children are frequently reminded about the importance of making safe choices when using the Internet.
The Rule of Law
In Britain we have a police force who make sure people do not do the wrong thing and break the law – this means that we are safe.
As a Faith School great emphasis is placed upon the core values of respect, tolerance, forgiveness and care for others. Our school’s behaviour Code reflects such values. Furthermore, we emphasise the need for order whilst working together in harmony.
Mutual Respect
We might not always agree with other people, but we try to show respect for their thoughts and feelings. We can give respect to others and we can expect other people to show us respect.
St. Vincent’s ethos is centred upon mutual respect and the belief that all members of our community are deserving of respect. A cross-curricular approach ensures that this value is promoted through all aspects of the life of our school, where the individual is cherished and encouraged to understand the effect of behaviour and attitudes to others.
Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs
In Britain we accept that other people might have different beliefs than ours and they may believe in different religions.
The Archdiocesan Religious programme, Come and See encompasses the study of world religions and different Faiths, with educational visits to local mosques and synagogues. Our school’s diversity is celebrated and children are taught that the faiths and beliefs of others should be accepted.
