British Values

At Brierley, we want children to grow into confident, respectful and responsible young people who are well prepared for life in modern Britain and the wider world. Our values of Nurture, Aspire, Believe and Achieve are central to this. We want children to care about others, develop confidence in their own voice, understand their rights and responsibilities and recognise that people can live, think and believe differently while deserving the same dignity and respect.

The Department for Education identifies the Fundamental British Values as:

• Democracy

• The Rule of Law

• Individual Liberty

• Mutual Respect

• Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

At Brierley, they are not taught as a one-off topic or simply displayed as words on a wall. They are developed through our curriculum, assemblies, PSHE, Relationships Education, Religious Education, safeguarding, School Pupil Governors, pupil leadership, our House system and the everyday relationships and experiences that make up life at Brierley.

Democracy

We want children to understand that their voice matters and that they can contribute positively to the communities they belong to. Our School Pupil Governors are an important part of this. Pupils have opportunities to take part in elections, represent the views of others and contribute ideas about school life. Children also share their views through questionnaires, surveys, pupil voice activities and conversations about their learning and wider experiences. These opportunities help pupils experience democratic decision-making rather than simply learning about it.

Our wider pupil leadership opportunities and House system also give children experience of taking responsibility, representing others, working collaboratively and contributing to a wider group.

Within lessons, pupils are encouraged to express their opinions, listen to different viewpoints and explain their thinking respectfully. As children move through school, their understanding develops from simple ideas about fairness, choices and taking turns towards a greater understanding of democracy, representation, rights, responsibilities and how individuals and groups can influence change.

The Rule of Law

Children learn that rules and laws help communities to be safe, fair and respectful. From the Early Years, pupils begin to understand why we have expectations and boundaries and how their choices can affect other people. As children grow, we help them understand the relationship between rights, responsibilities, rules, laws and consequences. School expectations are reinforced consistently through classrooms, assemblies, PSHE and everyday school life. Our aim is not simply for children to follow rules because an adult has told them to, but to understand why rules matter.

Learning is strengthened by visitors and community partners. Police Community Support Officers, the police, fire service and other organisations can help children understand how people and public services work to protect and support communities.

Our safety curriculum also makes this meaningful to children's lives in Crewe. Road and pedestrian safety, railway safety, water safety, fire and firework safety and knowing how to respond in an emergency all help pupils understand why rules, laws and responsible behaviour matter.

Individual Liberty

At Brierley, children are encouraged to develop confidence, independence and the ability to make safe and informed choices.

We want pupils to understand that freedom comes with responsibility and that exercising their own rights should not prevent other people from exercising theirs.

Through PSHE, Relationships Education, Computing and wider school life, children learn about personal choice, privacy, boundaries, consent at an age appropriate level, online safety, healthy relationships and knowing when and how to seek help. Pupils are encouraged to express their views and develop their own interests. They can choose to participate in a wide range of clubs, sporting opportunities, performances, leadership roles and other experiences. As children mature, they are given increasing opportunities to take responsibility and make decisions within safe and appropriate boundaries.

Our value of Believe is particularly important here. We want children to develop confidence in who they are while understanding that other people have the same right to make choices, hold beliefs and express views within the law.

Mutual Respect

Respect is central to life at Brierley and sits naturally alongside our value of Nurture. We want every member of our school community to feel valued and to know that they belong. Children learn that people will not always think, behave, look or live in the same way, but that everyone should be treated with kindness, fairness and dignity.

Respect is developed through the relationships between pupils and adults, classroom discussion, teamwork, play, sport, our House system, assemblies, PSHE, RE and the wider curriculum. Children learn to listen to another person's viewpoint, disagree appropriately, resolve difficulties and consider how their words and actions affect others. Adults model respectful relationships and discussion. Where children encounter different opinions, we help them understand that disagreement is a normal part of life. We are equally clear that prejudice, discriminatory behaviour and bullying are not acceptable.

Tolerance of Those with Different Faiths and Beliefs

At Brierley, we want children to move beyond simply tolerating difference and develop genuine knowledge, curiosity, understanding and respect. This is particularly meaningful in our school. Brierley is a diverse and multilingual community. Many of our children speak English as an additional language and our families have connections with countries, cultures, religions and traditions across the world. We see this diversity as a strength.

Through Religious Education, pupils develop knowledge of a range of religious and non-religious worldviews, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu Dharma, Humanism and Buddhism as they progress through school. Children also learn that there can be diversity within a religion or worldview. We encourage them to ask thoughtful questions, avoid stereotypes and recognise that no individual child should be expected to represent an entire religion, culture or country.

Assemblies, stories, literature, PSHE, visitors and the wider curriculum provide further opportunities to encounter different beliefs, families, cultures and ways of life.

Children learn that people may hold a religious belief, a different belief or no religious belief and that difference should never be a reason for prejudice or discrimination.

British Values Through Our Curriculum

Fundamental British Values are developed progressively from the Early Years through to Year 6. PSHE has a particularly important role. Children learn about feelings, relationships, safety, communities, citizenship, rights and responsibilities, equality, economic wellbeing and making informed choices.

Religious Education develops knowledge of religious and non-religious worldviews and teaches children how to encounter perspectives that may be different from their own with knowledge and respect.

History helps pupils understand how societies and institutions have developed and provides opportunities to explore ideas such as power, rights, conflict, change and democracy. Geography helps children understand communities locally and globally and recognise the diversity and interconnectedness of the world in which they live. English allows pupils to encounter different experiences, cultures and perspectives through high quality texts and discussion. Computing develops responsible digital citizenship, online safety and children's ability to think carefully about information they encounter online.

PE, sport, House activities and wider school experiences develop teamwork, fairness, leadership, rules, responsibility and respect. This means British Values become something children understand, experience and apply rather than simply five terms they can remember.

British Values Through Assemblies

Our whole-school assemblies provide regular opportunities to revisit and strengthen children's understanding of British Values. Themes including fairness, democracy, responsibility, kindness, respect, equality, diversity, belonging and keeping safe are explored alongside our own values of Nurture, Aspire, Believe and Achieve.

Assemblies allow us to celebrate our diverse community, consider important events and discuss what our values look like through children's everyday choices and actions. They complement, rather than replace, the planned learning children receive through PSHE, RE and the wider curriculum.

School Pupil Governors and Pupil Voice

We want children not simply to learn about democracy and citizenship but to experience what it means to have a voice and make a contribution. Our School Pupil Governors give pupils an opportunity to experience representation and democratic participation within their own school. Through elections and pupil voice, children begin to understand that representing others involves listening as well as speaking.

Alongside our School Pupil Governors, questionnaires, surveys, House responsibilities and other pupil leadership opportunities allow children to share ideas and contribute to life at Brierley. We want pupils to understand that having a voice does not always mean getting the outcome they personally wanted. Democracy also involves listening to others, considering different views and accepting decisions made fairly. Most importantly, we want children to see themselves as people whose voices and actions can make a positive difference.

Our House System and Leadership

Our House system gives children further opportunities to develop belonging, responsibility, teamwork and leadership. Children from Years 1 to 6 belong to one of our four Houses: Anderton, Jodrell, Tatton and Delamere, named after Cheshire landmarks. Our older pupils can take on House leadership responsibilities, giving them opportunities to represent and encourage younger children. Through House activities, children experience friendly competition, teamwork and participation. They learn how to celebrate success appropriately and how to respond positively when things do not go their way. These experiences help children understand that being part of a community involves both individual contribution and responsibility towards others.

Active Citizenship and Our Wider Community

We want children to recognise that citizenship reaches beyond the school gates. Our pupils have opportunities to engage with people and organisations within the local community and to take part in charitable, community and wider school activities. Visitors, trips, performances and community events help children understand the different roles people play within society and the ways individuals can contribute. As children become older, we want them to recognise that positive change can happen through participation, representation, volunteering, community action and democratic processes.

Equality, Diversity and Belonging

Our promotion of British Values is closely connected to our commitment to equality, inclusion and belonging. Through PSHE, Relationships Education, RE, literature, assemblies and the wider curriculum, children develop an age appropriate understanding of equality and the protected characteristics. We help children recognise stereotypes and understand why prejudice and discrimination are harmful.

Brierley's diverse community gives pupils valuable everyday experience of learning and playing alongside children whose languages, cultures, beliefs and family experiences may be different from their own. We want every child to feel that they belong at Brierley while also understanding their responsibility to help other people experience that same sense of belonging.

Respectful Discussion and Different Viewpoints

We want Brierley children to grow into people who can listen, question, think and discuss ideas respectfully. Children may encounter issues where people hold different opinions. Our role is to help pupils develop the knowledge and language needed to understand different perspectives and discuss them appropriately. We want children to understand that they can question an idea or disagree with a viewpoint without being unkind or disrespectful towards the person expressing it.

Safeguarding, Prevent and Keeping Children Safe

British Values also connect with our wider responsibility to keep children safe. The Prevent Duty guidance explains that schools can help build children's resilience to radicalisation by developing the knowledge, skills and values needed for life in modern Britain. At Brierley, this work is always age appropriate and proportionate.

Children learn to think carefully about information, recognise when something may be unsafe or harmful and know which trusted adults they can turn to for help. As children grow older, online safety and critical thinking become increasingly important. We help pupils understand that information they encounter online may not always be accurate or trustworthy and that people can sometimes attempt to influence others in harmful ways.

Challenging Prejudice and Discrimination

Actively promoting British Values also means responding when words or actions undermine them. At Brierley, prejudicial, discriminatory or extremist language and behaviour are challenged appropriately. Children are helped to understand why particular language or behaviour may be harmful and what respectful behaviour looks like instead. Our aim is not simply to tell children that something is wrong, but to develop the knowledge, empathy and understanding that help them make better choices.

Knowing Our Approach Is Making a Difference

We want British Values to be visible in children's knowledge, attitudes and actions. Through pupil voice, our School Pupil Governors, curriculum monitoring, discussions, assemblies and everyday school life, we consider how well children understand ideas including democracy, fairness, rights, responsibilities, liberty, respect and the purpose of rules and laws.

We consider whether pupils can listen to different perspectives, show respect towards others, recognise unfair or discriminatory behaviour and know where to seek help. We also look at children's participation in leadership, House activities, community experiences and wider school life. Most importantly, we want to see these values reflected in the way children treat one another and contribute to Brierley.

Nurture, Aspire, Believe, Achieve

Fundamental British Values sit naturally alongside the values that shape Brierley.

• Nurture helps us care about other people, treat them with dignity and create a community where everyone can belong.

• Aspire encourages children to recognise that their voice, choices and contribution can make a difference.

• Believe helps pupils develop confidence in themselves while recognising the rights, beliefs and freedoms of others.

• Achieve reminds us that developing into a responsible, respectful and active citizen is an important part of being prepared for life beyond Brierley.

We want children to leave Brierley confident in who they are, interested in people whose lives and experiences may be different from their own and ready to contribute positively to their community, modern Britain and the wider world.

Find Out More - for Parents and Carers

We want to work in partnership with our families so that children hear consistent messages about respect, fairness, responsibility, kindness and belonging both at school and at home. Everyday conversations can make a real difference. Talking about why rules matter, listening to different viewpoints, showing respect for people whose lives or beliefs may be different from our own and helping children understand that their choices affect others all support this learning.

If you would like to know more about how we promote British Values at Brierley, or if you would like support in talking about any of these themes with your child, please speak to a member of staff. We are always happy to help.