British Values

British Values in School: We understand the importance of cultivating young people that have knowledge and an understanding of British Values here at Dean Trust Rose Bridge and embed all aspects within our practice as a school. The government set out their definition of British Values in the 2011 ‘Prevent’ Strategy and these regulations sit alongside the requirements of the Equalities Act.

We understand British Values to encapsulate the following:

Democracy: Pupil voice is significant in regards to life at school. As well as regular opportunities for all pupils to drive the direction of our school improvement (through regular feedback exercises, surveys and working groups), we also have a very active Pupil Leadership teams. Our Prefect Team are led by a pupil-elected Head Boy and Head Girl. In addition, each form group has two form captains that meet every half term to improve the experience of the year group, and two of these representatives then form part of our Pupil Parliament, that meet with Senior Leaders to provide important insight into the understanding and desires of our pupils. We believe that the formation of the pupil leadership team and the active participation of our pupils will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

Rule of Law: Our pupils encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives. We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for a reason and must be adhered to. The understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced in assemblies and our curriculum. Within our PSHE curriculum, pupils are given the opportunity to debate and discuss the reasons for laws so they can recognise the importance of these for their own protection. Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including the fire brigade and charity workers. We believe that clear explanations and the real-life stories emphasise the importance of the rule of law for our pupils.

Tolerance of those of other faiths and beliefs: Our curriculum offering is both culturally rich and diverse. Tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding and we embed a wide variety of opportunities to experience such across a wide variety of platforms: within lessons, through a stimulating PDC programme, diverse assembly topics, extra-curricular clubs and enrichment opportunities. Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help our pupils to become knowledgeable citizens who can build a better Britain for the future.

Individual Liberty: Our school is a positive and safe environment for all. Pupils have opportunities to articulate their ideas, listen to others and appropriately challenge the viewpoint of all. Our extra-curricular programme appeals to a wide variety of interests and we take pride in providing a wide-range of opportunities that pupils can choose from. We educate our pupils on their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely. In school, we believe that valuing choice and freedom in daily school life will foster a value for liberty as the pupils embark upon their adult lives.

Mutual Respect: To have respect for one another is at the core of our school life: be ready, be respectful, be safe. Pupils learn to treat each other and staff with respect and this is evident when walking around the School and in all classrooms. All members of our school community are working together to fulfil the aims of our motto ’Believe, Achieve , Succeed’ and this is evident through the strong relationships between pupils and staff.