Ethos & Values

Achieve Respect Belong

Three Beech Green Values, achieve, respect and belong, determine our priorities and act as a guide for our collective conduct. Together with fundamental British Values, our principles shape the culture of our school, they describe the personal qualities represented by the people in our community.

Achieve Respect Belong

Achieve
We want them to achieve their goals, whether this is academic or personal.

Respect
We strive to ensure that all our pupils demonstrate respect to each other and the wider community.

Belong
We want our children to have a sense of belonging. To belong in the class, school and the wider community.

 

British Values

They are:

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

There are many ways in we promote and support British values at Beech Green Primary School. Here are some examples relating to each British value:

Democracy

Pupils, parents, and staff  have the right to have their voices heard. This is achieved through a pupil-elected school council, in which class representatives raise issues and suggest ideas for improvement. Parents and guardians are given the opportunity to express any concerns or queries through parent meetings, parents' evenings and surveys.

The rule of law

The importance of rules and law should be referred to and reinforced to teach children to distinguish between right and wrong. The rule of law in British values teaches children to take responsibility for their own actions. Children are taught the reasons behind rules and laws, how they govern and protect us, and the consequences of what happens when these laws are broken. We invite guest speakers to the school and allow children to get involved in workshops to reinforce this teaching e.g. PCSO/Police visit.

Individual liberty

At Beech Green Primary School, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs in a safe environment. We teach children to take responsibility for their behaviour. They are supported to understand that they have rights and freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely. Pupils are supported to become as independent as possible. This is demonstrated in various ways, for example, through PSHE lessons and assemblies.

Mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths or beliefs

Children are taught how to respect others and ‘RESPECT’ is one of the school’s main values. The children are taught to respect and celebrate similarities and differences.  For example, regular opportunities to learn about different cultures and beliefs will reinforce messages of respect and tolerance. This allows pupils to understand that others may have religions and beliefs that differ from their own and to respect these differing viewpoints.

 

As a school, the main teaching principles for children learning about British values is to:

  • Encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied.
  • Enable children to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law system.
  • Enable children to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
  • Encourage children to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely.
  • Enable children to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services.
  • Further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling children to acquire an appreciation for and respect for their own and other cultures.
  • Encourage respect for other people.