Laurel Avenue Community Primary School is committed to working closely and in harmony with its community and celebrating the diversity of the UK. We aim to prepare children for life in modern Britain and to ensure that our school ethos, curriculum and approaches to teaching and learning reflect and promote British values.

We recognise that these values are not exclusive to being British and that they have come to be accepted throughout the democratic world as the method of creating an orderly society in which individual members can feel safe, valued and can contribute to for the good of themselves and others.

We work alongside our local community and recognise the variety of religious beliefs within it. We take children outside the school to take part in local events and meet different members of the community to appreciate the valuable contributions they make.

We take opportunities to:

• acknowledge, celebrate and commemorate national events and anniversaries related to key events in Britain’s past
• join in with international sporting events and find out more about the countries that host them
• support a number of charities that are selected by the children and arrange fundraising events
• invite members of the local community to our school events.

We understand the role that our school has in helping prevent radicalisation and supporting our children in developing a world view recognising Britain’s place within it. The British values are:

• democracy
• the rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

British Values are reflected in our ethos and are integral to our School Rules, Behaviour Policy and core school values which are adhered by both staff and pupils.

British Values definitions

As a collective, pupils learn about each British Value and so we have pupil-friendly definitions which are:

DEMOCRACY – Using your vote so your voice can be heard.

THE RULE OF LAW – The law applies to everyone. It is equal and it is fair.

MUTUAL RESPECT – Treating others how you would want to be treated, even if they have been unkind to you.

TOLERANCE – Making a space for other people’s opinions (even if they seem different, odd, wrong or interesting).

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY – As long as we do not break the law, we have rights and freedoms.

Embedding British Values at Laurel Avenue Community Primary School

In weekly assemblies, we focus on one of the British Values in detail each half term and this includes making links with SMSC. 

Half Term 1      Democracy

Half Term 2      Tolerance

Half Term 3      Mutual Respect

Half Term 4      The Rule of Law

Half Term 5      Individual Liberty

Half Term 6      Review of all British Values

From Nursery to Year 6 we use the Jigsaw PSHE Scheme of Work. This scheme of work is broken down into 6 topics or ‘puzzles’ which are: Being Me In My World, Celebrating Difference, Dreams and Goals, Healthy Me, Relationships and Changing Me. There are 6 lessons for each topic. Every lesson contributes to at least one aspect of pupil’s SMSC development. This is mapped on each lesson and balanced across each year group.

Click here to see coverage of British Values by ‘puzzle’ and year group

Click here to see how each lesson relates to British Values teaching