Modern British Values are a key part of our curriculum and learning at The John Wesley CEM Primary School. As part of this, learning promotes the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Our learning enables pupils to:

• Develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
• Distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England
• Take responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to 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
• Acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England
• Promote tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
• Encourage respect for other people
• 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 in England

We aim to do this in a way that primary-aged children can understand and empathise with. For example, things we do to promote the fundamental British Values across the currciulum:

• Clear school rules linked to Christian values
• In electing our school council, we actively experience democracy by individually voting for class representatives who have stood for election and presented their manifesto on how they will represent their peers
• Our school councillors enjoy meeting and questioning locally elected representatives, such as local councillors from Great Chart and Singleton each year
• School Council representatives involved in the appointment of staff including writing information for the micro-site for appointment of the HT
• Clear behaviour policy that is followed consistently by staff
• Geography curriculum enhances pupils’ knowledge of the United Kingdom including location of counties and key cities
• Visits from Dogs Trust, PCSO, Road Safety Workshops, Fire Brigade, Dentists, PDSA,
• Clear anti-bullying policy and procedures for recording incidences including cyber bullying
• School Council representatives lead class and school decision making resulting in changes to playground, clubs, Collective Worship and decisions about which charities to support
• House Captains are elected by each child in their house
• Use of general/ local elections/ referendums to teach further about the democratic process
• Beginnings of democracy taught through history curriculum e.g. Ancient Greece and ‘Crime and Punishment’
• Pupils contribute to collective worship
• Teaching of life skills for our KS2 pupils e.g. cycling proficiency, first aid, travel on buses, Safety in Action,
• Use of debate in lessons to allow children the opportunity to defend an opinion
• Annual Internet Safety Day alongside Online Safety throughout the year. Computing curriculum ensures that pupils know how to keep themselves safe online
• Charities that have been supported in the past two years have involved both local and global charities - Ashford Food Bank, Comic Relief, Children In Need, Save the Children, Demelza House, Macmillan, Pilgrims Hospice, Water Aid, Eco-Bricks
• Class led organisation of events to raise money for charities
• Individual children taking on own charitable fundraising events outside of school
• Taking part in Ashford Vineyard’s Thousand Hours of Kindness
• Establishment of #thisgirlcan Club to challenge gender stereotypes
• Sports leaders organise sporting events for inside and outside of school
• Digital champions have been trained in online safety and action plan created
• Annual anti-bullying week/fortnight to educate pupils about the effects of bullying on pupils
• Geography topics leading to learning about customs and traditions e.g. teaching about India and China
• R.E. curriculum teaches children about a wide range of other world faiths
• The celebration of festivals from other faiths e.g. Diwali, Hannukah
• Annual anti-bullying week
• Anti-bullying information sent home with pupils and separate leaflet for parents
• Partnership with other local Church of England and Methodist schools including sporting events, curriculum enrichment days and competitions

As a result of our school promoting fundamental British values, our pupils acquire the following understanding and knowledge;

• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety
• An understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination