Promoting British Values at Frith Manor

• Democracy
• Rule of Law
• Individual Liberty
• Tolerance to those with different faiths and beliefs

The Department for Education have recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

The government set out its definitions of British Values in the 2023 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated by the former Prime Minister. At Frith Manor, these values are regularly reinforced in many ways as described below.

Democracy

• The Value of Democracy is evident throughout everything we do at Frith Manor. From an early age, pupils are given opportunity for their voice to be heard and to have a say in their learning and involvement in their life at school
• Frith Manor runs a ‘House System’ by which pupils are allocated a ‘House’ that they belong to. Pupils collect rewards points for their house through good behaviour and work and take part in inter-house competitions. At the beginning of Year 6, interested pupils put themselves forward to be voted House Captain and Vice Captain. Having campaigned and gained support, the Year 6 pupils vote for their House Captain and pupils with the highest number of votes are elected.
• School council is one of the main vehicles by which pupil voice is heard. Members of the Senior Leadership Team meet with representatives from each class to discuss many aspects of the day to day life and learning at Frith Manor. Each School Council Representative is elected by their fellow class members through a voting system and different children are given a change to represent their class each year. The class representative takes responsibly for feeding back the thoughts and opinions of their class peers to members of the SLT
• Each year a Pupil Questionnaire is completed by pupils (via group discussion in Early Years and Key Stage 1). Questions allow pupils to express their views about Frith Manor. These questions include opinions on equality and whether they feel fairly treated at the school. The results of this questionnaire are analysed and discussed by the Senior Leadership team and main points for action are discussed with the School Council. 
• As part of the rewards and sanctions policy at Frith Manor, pupils work together in order to earn a class reward for good behaviours and work. Pupils take a vote as a class to determine the treat.
• As part of the History Curriculum, pupils learn about the importance of democracy throughout British History. Pupils study periods of history where British Values have been tested and look at the impact and result of these times. Examples of this include WWII
• Debates & Discussion pervade the curriculum at Frith Manor. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions and challenge ideas and conceptions within an appropriate and safe class environment. Pupils learn to debate topics such as global warming or fair trade. These skills and abilities to debate and discuss in a respectful, coherent and tolerant manner are an essential skill and central to understanding British Values.
• KS2 have a weekly VotesforSchools assembly which introduces and discusses a relevant VoteTopic each week in the form of a 'yes/no' question. During the assembly, different views on the VoteTopic are presented so children have the opportunity to reflect on views that might be different to their own. Back in the classroom, time is taken to discuss the VoteTopic as a class and then each child casts an individual vote to represent their view.    

The Rule of Law

• The importance of laws, be it class, school or national are consistently reinforced throughout the day at Frith Manor. Pupils are taught the values and reasons behind laws and encouraged to follow and respect the laws set out for them
• Behaviours that break these class or school laws are immediately dealt with either in class or by members of the Senior Leadership Team. Frith Manor has a clear behaviour policy with easy to follow explanations about school and class rules, as well as rewards and sanctions for pupils. Assembly time is also used to reinforce both the rules of the school as well as explaining and helping pupils understand current world issues, changes in law or politics. 
• From an early age, pupils are taught to take responsibility for their actions and understand that there can be consequences when rules are not followed. As pupils get older, they are taught to understand that with every right they have as a child, they also hold a responsibility. For example, they have a right to an education but therefore have the responsibility to let others learn and do all that they can within their means to access that education. 
• Pupils receive visits from public services such as the police or fire brigade. Here they are taught the importance of laws and the measures in place to keep them safe. Members of Year 6 attend the Junior Citizens scheme run by the London Borough of Barnet where they learn to be responsible citizens with particular regard to public transport and the emergency services

Individual liberty

• Throughout Frith Manor, pupils are encouraged to make choices. This choice making starts in a safe and supportive environment and acts as a launch pad to teach pupils the importance of their right to make their own choice as well as the responsibility they must take for the resulting actions

• Staff respect the rights and personal freedoms of children and advise them on how to exercise them safely
• We offer a thorough curriculum covering Drug Education, Sex Education, E-Safety and our PSHE curriculum tackles a range of other personal, social and health issues that pupils experience.  

Mutual Respect

• Our School Moto is to Nurture, Inspire, Challenge. At the very heart of our school, we aim to teach pupils the importance of mutual respect and the importance of understanding their place in the world whilst respecting the views, rights and opinions of others. 
• A high proportion of class-based work sees the value of mutual respect woven throughout the lessons. From sharing ideas, celebrating good work, valuing others contributions, or discussions and debates – mutual respect is key. Teachers and staff aspire to create classroom environments where respect and tolerance are highly prioritised.  
• Every class as Frith Manor presents a class assembly at one point throughout the year. These assemblies give pupils the chance to learn from others, and show respect for other pupils as they present their work. 
• Displays in both the classroom and the whole school environment give us the chance to celebrate the talents and achievements of pupils. We celebrate and value all contributions by maintaining a ‘learning wall’ in each classroom where ideas, processes and original drafts are valued and then built upon. Our displays reflect the diversity of our school, in ethnicity, religion and culture and create an environment where pupils respect the work and contributions of their peers
• Our behaviour policy is very clear that mutual respect is key to a positive, safe and happy school environment. Respect for peers, adults and property is a high priority and pupils flouting this value are reported to members of the Senior Leadership Team. In return, pupils should expect to receive respect from their peers and adults in the environment
• Every year we mark ‘Anti bullying week’ where the message of mutual respect is reinforced and special lessons are focussed on what it means to respect and be tolerant of others. Further to this, we value Online Safety and spend time teaching children the importance of staying safe online. Within this, pupils are taught the importance of respect and manners online and taught that there should be no difference between their conduct online as to their day to day verbal contact with those around them

Tolerance to those with different faiths and beliefs

• Frith Manor is a multi-cultural school with a wide range of ethnicities, religions, cultures and languages represented. From a young age, pupils learn to live and work alongside those with different cultural backgrounds and religions and celebrate and embrace each other for both their similarities and their differences.  The very nature of our school gives pupils to opportunity to learn about cultural diversity though both their social and classroom interactions and pupils value and respect each other for their differences
• Pupils are taught to embrace and value their own culture and heritage as well as those of others. RE and PSHE lessons in particular help pupils understand their place within a culturally diverse society. Assemblies, special lessons and one off events give voice and focus to the fact we live in a society with different faiths and beliefs and these are all to be respected and tolerated. 
• At Frith Manor, we actively look for opportunities to celebrate diversity through whole school events such as International Day. In our most recent International Day, pupils came to school in their ‘National Dress’ and parents were invited into classrooms to talk about their different religions and practices. Pupils shared food from different cultures, read traditional stories and heard music from different faiths and countries. Tolerance and celebration of our similarities and differences pervades our school. 
• As part of our curriculum, as well as special events such as our cultural day or celebration of different festivals, we often welcome visitors of different faiths and cultures to our school. These visitors help grow the understanding and appreciation for various faiths and beliefs.
• It is essential that children are given the opportunity to independently develop their own core belief without prejudice. Teachers and staff recognise that much of this is worked out with the family within the home environment. However, children are encouraged to think for themselves and reminded that they have the right to express faith in the way that they choose, whilst being respectful and tolerant of others
• Our RE and PSHE curriculum covers the 6 main faiths and is thorough in its teaching about the beliefs and practices of different religions. Teachers teach these lessons sensitively, giving children the opportunity to share their own experiences, as well as express their beliefs and opinions in a safe and respectful environment. 
• There are over 30 languages represented at Frith Manor, with large percentages of children speaking particular languages – namely Japanese, Farsi and Arabic.  We have dedicated support for the language development of pupils who arrive at the school with little or no English. We also celebrate and value modern foreign languages, with all children receiving specialist teaching in French throughout KS2.
• In keeping with the National Focus, Frith Manor marks Black History Month in October every year. Pupils take part in lessons celebrating the contribution and achievements of key figures in history or modern day culture whose heritage is rooted in Africa or The Caribbean.  Pupils also look at art, music, dance and other culturally significant aspects of African or Caribbean culture and older pupils spend time reflecting on some of the political and historical struggles.
• As part of our humanities curriculum, pupils are involved in lessons and topic that teach them about respect for world. In particular, pupils learn about the preservation of rainforests, recycling, poverty or global warming.
• We support national charity fund raising events including Red Nose Day and Children In Need
• Nursery and Reception regularly host ‘Dads & Grandads’ Days and ‘Special Persons’ day. Adults are invited to join their child in the classroom and share experiences together. This is always a highlight in the term.
• For many years, Frith Manor has supported ‘Homeless Action in Barnet’. This has predominantly been through food contributions donated as part of our Harvest Festival Celebrations. Pupils are taught the importance of helping others and that there are those who need support within our own community.
• We mark all the major festivals through assemblies or celebrations. Different religion festivals such as Diwali or Lent are discussed or celebrated. Our display in the entrance hall is always related to the festival or celebration related to the season
• As part of our RE visits, pupils visit places of worship. Here they are taught the respect and tolerance of different faiths and religions
• At Frith Manor we celebrate British events and times of significance in Britain. We held a day of celebrations throughout the school for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and previously used art to celebrate the Queen’s 90^th Birthday. Pupils regularly visit iconic british buildings or institutions such as the Houses of Parliament, Wimbledon or The British Museum
• As part of the English curriculum, pupils study traditional stories, songs and nursery rhymes from Great Britain. These stories and rhymes become increasingly familiar as children spend time studying them.