The four British values at SIAL

At SIAL.school we actively 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.

A key part of our plan for education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of their background.

How do the children at SIAL.school experience and explore these values in their everyday school lives?

DEMOCRACY

We are a democratic country as we have the freedom to vote for our leaders and participate in decisions on how our country is run. This is also reflected in our school life, as our children are given opportunities to make decisions through nominating and voting.

As well as our elections for Head Boy and Head Girl, House Captains and our School Council, the children also vote on things such as which story they would like to hear and which of their friends should be rewarded with stars for virtues such as cooperation, resilience and good listening.

RULE OF LAW

Understanding what rules are, how they are enforced and how they can be applied fairly.

We involve the children in discussing and agreeing the class rules and expectations and they are expected to adhere to them. We encourage the children to give their best, follow the rules of the school and to understand that there are consequences when these rules are broken.

We consistently reinforce the strength of our expectations for the children we teach. We aim to use appropriate methods to resolve conflicts and we praise, acknowledge and reward positive behaviours.

Where necessary we document, monitor and seek to swiftly address all incidents that we think are in breach of our school policy and the fundamental British values.  All necessary precautions are then taken to avoid any recurrence of such behaviours.

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY

We ensure that the children are given the opportunity to make choices and take risks, knowing that they are in a safe environment where their learning is supported.  

Our children are respected for their individuality and they are supported to achieve their best. The children are also given the opportunity to increase their confidence in their own abilities, their interests are considered and followed when planning activities and they share their feelings about their own learning and experiences.

They have the freedom to exercise their rights and live as they choose and they have their own opinions and views, which we do not restrict provided they do not hurt themselves or others.  For example, the right to choose how children spend their playtime or the right to make a decision that would affect them personally, like which after school club they would like to participate in or which musical instrument they’d like to choose for individual lessons.

MUTUAL RESPECT

Accepting that other people will have different faiths and beliefs to our own and that we should not discriminate against them because of this.

Despite the fact that you may not agree with other people, you should always maintain a respect for their thoughts and feelings and treat them fairly, regardless of any differences we may have.

We celebrate and teach the children to understand their own culture as well as the cultures of others.  We pursue this through our religious education lessons, assemblies and through reading a variety of relevant books about various cultures and religions.  We also teach the children how life can be different for others compared to what they are used to and that’s one of the key reasons we support the charities that we do.

SIAL.school strives endlessly to ensure that its students leave us with the strongest possible foundation of values upon which to build a successful life and a successful contribution to our society.