Values and Aims
What it means to be a Priestmead Pupil
Our child will start with us in our EARLY PHASE Village. As they move to Year 2 they progress to the MIDDLE PHASE Village and then in Year 5 to the LATER PHASE Village. Each Phase has values and a special curriculum to explore during their phase as part of their transition and progression. They also have a uniform in each phase to give a sense of belonging.
Below is the school vision which the children build on throughout their time at Priestmead and values for each phase.
Phase Values
We want all our children to develop an understanding of key values, to enable them to become the great adults of the future
These values bring together the ideals of many religions, British values but more importantly global values to enable our children to be the positive global citizens of the future.
Throughout each year we focus on each value and talk it through with our children through the curriculum, our assemblies but also how we behave as a community every day.
Our families support these values and in partnership we work together to ensure we help every child to be the best they can be.
British Values at Priestmead
Priestmead 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:
Below we include more details about how each British value is embedded in our school.
| British value | Statement | In practice |
| Democracy | Many of our school routines are built upon the concept of democracy. All children have the opportunity as an individual, as a member of a group and a member of a class, to influence decision making and to have a voice. They understand that they must use this voice responsibly. Children are regularly consulted both formally and informally about how their school might be improved. They see the example that is set with staff working cooperatively with parents, governors and each other to make the school the best it can be. | Children within the school have key roles and responsibilities including in the school council and through a monitor system in each year group. Classes vote for the people they would like to take on these responsibilities and we discuss the importance of this. The school council applies the democratic process and information is fed to and from the council throughout the year. How to work as a member of a team as well as team leadership are included in the curriculum for each year group. Y5 hold an annual General Election! During national and local elections we hold our own mock elections and discuss what it means to represent a political party and how a voting system works. |
| The rule of law | Children in our school understand the need for rules to make ours a happy and secure environment. Our behaviour policy is shared and understood and this provides a basis on which we discuss other laws and rules and how they apply. In different subjects we have specific ground rules for safety and comfort. Children are helped to understand the reasons for these. | Our school works closely with our community police officer. When establishing the code of conduct in each classroom we discuss the need for rules and look at the code in the context of the school rules and the country’s laws. We have visits from the local mayor who explains in assembly how the town council operates. Children also visit Parliament. Issues to do with the rules we apply in school and how they appear in practice are discussed in circle time. |
| Individual liberty | The rights of every child are at the centre of our ethos. However, children also recognise the boundaries there must be too. Independent thinking and learning are encouraged and there are frequent opportunities for children to make their own choices. We place an emphasis on respecting difference and valuing creativity. | Each year group studies the individual biography of someone who has had a particular impact on the history of Britain and who the children can empathise with. We try to select from a range of cultures and include those who came as immigrants to the country. There are options at lunchtime and Pegasus time that give children opportunity to choose from a range of activities. |
| Mutual Respect | Respect is one of our school values. We recognise the importance of not only respecting one another but self-respect too. We have a clear anti-bullying policy which emphasises the importance of us creating an environment both within school and the wider world in which individuals can feel safe and valued. Our welcome for visitors is part of the school ethos as is the focus on each child as an ‘ambassador’ when they are out in the community. Every individual is respected in our school and our actions towards one another reflect this. | Our PSHE curriculum includes topics on ‘friendship’ and what it means to be a good friend. We talk about relationships and our place within the family, the community and society. We have a buddies system and children use the friendship stop when they are looking for someone to talk to. We also have an in-school counselling service. Our extra-curricular clubs and enrichment activities focus on building self-esteem and self-respect. They also include team-building activities. The staff code of conduct ensures that staff behave towards each other in an exemplary way, setting a good example for the children. The language used between staff and children at all times is considered to be vital in showing how we respect one another. |
| The tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs | We welcome difference and diversity and aim to create understanding of how this adds to the richness of our community. We aim to do more than ‘tolerate’ those with different faiths and beliefs. We recognise the extent to which our own traditions and history have developed side by side and the rich cultural heritage that different world religions bring. We believe that exploring and understanding other people’s faiths and beliefs are rewarding experiences and help us understand our own faiths and beliefs better. | Our RE curriculum teaches about a range of faiths, religions and cultures. We invite representatives from different religions into our school and visit places of worship, respecting the rules that apply to them and the beliefs of those who use them. Children are familiar with the principles which different religions hold and explore the main world religions as outlined in the Agreed Syllabus. During topic work we take the opportunity to find out more about different cultures we encounter through research and discussion. We encourage those in our school who hold different faiths and beliefs to share their experience and provide us with insight. |