In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in our school to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law. “Keeping our children safe and ensuring schools prepare them for life in modern Britain could not be more important. This change is an important step towards ensuring we have a strong legal basis for intervening in those schools where this is an issue.” ~ DfE, 2013.
The promotion of ‘British values’ is central to Catholic education because British values have their origin in the Christian values of our nation.
“We are proud that Catholic schools promote values that are both Catholic and British, including: respect for the individual, democracy, individual liberty, respect, tolerance and inclusiveness. Our schools promote cohesion by serving more ethnically diverse and poorer communities. Catholic schools provide high standards of education which are popular with parents from all social, economic and faith backgrounds.”
Paul Barber (Catholic Education Service 15 December 2014).
We promote British Values though our mission statement, our Religious Education, our own faith, our assemblies and worship and our day to day life at SS Peter & Paul. They are woven into everything we do. We also promote British Values through our spiritual, moral, social and cultural education and ensure our curriculum and teaching strives to educate the ‘whole child’ and provide inclusive learning. As a staff, we all strive to emanate British Values through our behaviour and act as role models for our children. The term ‘British Values’ does not just apply to the values of Britain. The values set out apply to so many countries throughout the world – they differ in no way from the values of most western European countries
The Key British Values are:
- democracy
- rule of law
- individual liberty
- mutual respect
- tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs