BRITISH VALUES AND SMSC* DEVELOPMENT

* Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural 

The DfE have recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools 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.”

The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated this in 2014 . At Rosewood Primary School these values are reinforced regularly in the following ways directly and through daily experiences and interactions with staff, parents and pupils and through as many aspects of the curriculum as possible.

What are ‘fundamental British values’?

Schools are required to provide for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of their pupils. As part of this requirement, we are expected to actively promote fundamental British values.

The government defines these as:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

What does this mean for my child?

At Rosewood our efforts to promote fundamental British values are designed to prepare children for life in modern Britain.

Ultimately, we aim to help pupils understand:

• The importance of combatting discrimination
• How we can influence decision-making by taking part in democratic processes like voting and petitioning
• Our freedom under British law to choose different faiths and beliefs
• That the law is there to keep us safe

What does this look like in school?

Children also engage with the values through the curriculum, in ways that are suitable for their age and context. For example, in some subjects there are opportunities to think about traditions from different cultures and religions.

Extra-curricular activities such as games teach children about the importance of rules. Pupil votes, questionnaires and councils are other ways that your children can have their voices heard and learn about democracy.

Our duty to actively promote fundamental British values means that we always present political views to children in a balanced way. We are also responsible for challenging prejudiced or extreme opinions and behaviour.

As part of this responsibility, we have put measures in place to protect children from exposure to extremist views. Please feel free to contact the school if you would like more information about this.

Will my child still be able to express his/her faith at school?

Absolutely. One of the fundamental values is respect and tolerance of people with different faiths, and we teach our children that British law protects their freedom to hold their own beliefs.

Any prejudice or discrimination towards pupils on the basis of their faith goes against the fundamental British values and will not be tolerated by the school.

How will this affect my child’s lessons?

The curriculum provides lots of opportunities to look at fundamental British values. Your child will already have some experience of this in lessons such as religious education (RE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE).

In each subject, our teachers will look out for these opportunities and encourage children to think about how the values link into the topics they are studying.

Democracy

At the beginning of the school year all classes in school decide on a set of class rules/ a Code of Conduct. These are displayed in all classrooms and are regularly referred to throughout the school year.

Children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We have a school council which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class circle time and to focus on whole school projects. The children who represent classes on our school council were nominated and voted for by pupils.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country are consistently reinforced throughout the school day, when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reason behind the laws that govern and protect us, the responsibility that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

Individual Liberty

Within school pupils are actively encouraged to make choices knowing they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for pupils to make safe choices through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms for example through assemblies, PSHE and e-safety lessons.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the heart of all our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own right and the rights of others. All members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. Staff are expected to be good role models at all times.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

We are extremely lucky at Rosewood in that we celebrate diversity in many different ways.  Assemblies and the curriculum are planned to address this issue directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Our PSHE and RE teaching reinforces this.

Children experience virtual visits of places of worship that are important to different faiths.  Another key way that we show tolerance of others is reflected in how the children work and play positively with each other.

At Rosewood we will actively challenge pupils, parents or staff expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including extremist views.

THE PREVENT STRATEGY

What is the Prevent strategy?

Prevent is a government strategy designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorist or extremist causes. The Prevent strategy covers all types of terrorism and extremism, including the extreme right wing, violent Islamist groups and other causes.

How does the Prevent strategy apply to schools?

From July 2015 all schools (as well as other organisations) have a duty to safeguard children from radicalisation and extremism. This means we have a responsibility to protect children from extremist and violent views the same way we protect them from drugs or gang violence.

Importantly, we can provide a safe place for pupils to discuss these issues so they better understand how to protect themselves.

What does this mean in practice?

At Rosewood many of the things we already do to help children become positive, happy members of society also contribute to the Prevent strategy. These include:

• Exploring other cultures and religions and promoting diversity 
• Challenging prejudices and racist comments
• Developing critical thinking skills and a strong, positive self-identity
• Promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils, as well as British values such as democracy

At Rosewood Primary School we also protect children from the risk of radicalisation, for example by using filters on the internet to make sure they can’t access extremist and terrorist material, or by vetting visitors who come into school to work with pupils.

How does Prevent relate to British values?

Schools have been required to promote British values since 2014, and this will continue to be part of our response to the Prevent strategy.

British values include:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty and mutual respect
• Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs

Isn’t my child too young to learn about extremism?

The Prevent strategy is not just about discussing extremism itself, which may not be appropriate for younger children. It is also about teaching children values such as tolerance and mutual respect.

The school will make sure any discussions are suitable for the age and maturity of the children involved.

Is extremism really a risk in our area?

Extremism can take many forms, including political, religious and misogynistic extremism. Some of these may be a bigger threat in our area than others.

We will give children the skills to protect them from any extremist views they may encounter, now or later in their lives.

What is SMSC? 

At Rosewood, we know that the personal development of pupils spirituality, morally, socially and culturally is central to their ability to learn and achieve. All schools must show how well pupils develop in SMSC. 

Spiritual

Explore beliefs and experience; respect faiths, feelings and values; enjoy learning about oneself, others and the surrounding world; use imagination and creativity; reflect.

Moral

Recognise right and wrong; respect the law; understand consequences; investigate moral and ethical issues; offer reasoned views.

Social

Use a range of social skills; participate in the local community; appreciate diverse viewpoints; participate, volunteer and cooperate; resolve conflict; engage with the 'British Values' of democracy, the rule of law, liberty, respect and tolerance.

Cultural

Appreciate cultural influences; appreciate the role of Britain's parliamentary system; participate in culture opportunities; understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity.

How do we ensure there are opportunities for SMSC development? 

We will help pupils to develop an inner discipline and encourage them to not just ‘follow the crowd’ - they will make up their own minds and be ready to accept responsibility for what they do. They will grow through making choices and holding themselves to account for the choices they have made. They will want to be honest with themselves and with others. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) education of our pupils is cross-curricular and not limited to specific SMSC lessons.

We want to give each child the opportunity to explore social and moral issue; develop a sense of social and moral responsibility and promote the British Values. We therefore aim to provide an education that provides children with opportunities to explore and develop:

• Their own values and beliefs
• Their own spiritual awareness
• Their own high standards of personal behaviour
• Their team and collaborative skills
• A positive, caring attitude towards other people
• An understanding of their social and cultural traditions
• An understanding of democratic processes and the law in England
• An appreciation and acceptance of the diversity and richness of their cultures
• Their opportunities to experience other cultures
• Their ability to celebrate each other’s successes
• Their access to a range of educational visits

Our opportunities for SMSC development are continuously changing and evolving. For further details of opportunities for SMSC, please see our SMSC yearly calendar. 

Links with the Wider Community

• Visitors are welcomed into our school
• Links with the local churches are fostered
• Visits to places of worship of other faiths are arranged either in real life or virtually to support the understanding of different cultures
• The school supports the work of a variety of charities
• The development of a strong home-school agreement is regarded as very important, enabling parents and teachers to work in an effective partnership to support the children
• Children will be taught to appreciate and take responsibility for their local environment
• Liaison with local secondary schools to support the primary curriculum and effective transition, takes place regularly
• Eco and school council meetings are held regularly. 

Ofsted Definitions of SMSC

Spiritual development is shown by their:

• beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s feelings and values
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them, including the intangible
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences

Moral development is shown by their:

• ability to recognise the difference between right and wrong and their readiness to apply this understanding in their own lives
• understanding of the consequences of their actions
• interest in investigating, and offering reasoned views about, moral and ethical issues.

Social development is shown by their:

• use of a range of social skills in different contexts, including working and socialising with pupils from different religious, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds
• willingness to participate in a variety of social settings, cooperating well with others and being able to resolve conflicts effectively
• interest in, and understanding of, the way communities and societies function at a variety of levels. 

Cultural development is shown by their: 

• understanding and appreciation of the wide range of cultural influences that have shaped their own heritage
• willingness to participate in, and respond to, for example, artistic, musical, sporting, mathematical, technological, scientific and cultural opportunities
• interest in exploring, understanding of, and respect for cultural diversity and the extent to which they understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity, as shown by their attitudes towards different religious, ethnic and socio-economic groups in the local, national and global communities.