This statement outlines the Key Values that we actively promote at Leighton Primary School.

The DfE state that there is a 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 it's definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014.

Leighton Primary School is committed to serving it's school community. We recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith nature of the United Kingdom and understand the crucial role our school plays in promoting these values.

We encourage admissions from all those entitled to education under British law regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status. We welcome all children to our school. 

Promoting British Values at Leighton Primary School 

 At Leighton Primary School the British Values  are embedded through all aspects of our school life and we promote children to be respectful of these values and display them through their behaviour in the community as well.

The values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHE), and Religious Education (RE). Our curriculum embraces the values to allow the children to reinforce them through all aspects of their daily learning.

The British Values are also taught  directly through our assembly themes both as a whole school and then through more focused class assemblies that are age appropriate for our children. Children are also given the opportunity to display the values that we teach through the curriculum through our class assembly performances to parents.

Each year we elect our own Leighton  Junior Leadership Team through a rigorous system in which children write their own election speech and then present this to their class peers. The members of the JLT are elected in a fair and open forum. The JLT children become our Leighton  role models in promoting both the British Values and our Leighton Core values to other children through their own conduct around the school and community .

Our Language Ambassadors support those children and families that come to our school from a different country and where the English language is very new to them. The Language Ambassadors will become language buddies for our children that are new to English and support them in their first few months at Leighton. This can include lunchtime meetings to ensure that the children new to English feel settled and happy in our school.

Actively promoting British Values also means challenging pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views.

At Leighton  Primary School we uphold and teach pupils about the British Values which are defined as:

•      Democracy
•      Rule of Law
•      Individual Liberty
•      Mutual Respect
•      Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. 

How does our school promote Democracy?

We want all of our children at Leighton  to feel valued and work to the principal that everyone should feel secure knowing that they are being listened to and have a valued voice in our school and in the wider community. We feel proud of the fact that the children have ownership of their school and have pride in working with the staff in deciding upon school values and rules which then they are part of displaying each and everyday. Through our teaching of the curriculum we educate children on current affairs and use modern day news to discuss democracy and its current place in the world news. We also allow the children through different aspects of the curriculum to vote on debates that arise from learning about the world. We have a school Junior Leadership team that meets regularly with the Senior Leadership team to discuss ways to improve the school and then this is debated at the meeting level and within the class that each of the children are in. The children have a set budget in which they can hold school events for their peers and make decisions on the best way to spend the money on improving the school.

How does the school promote the rule of the law?

We involve all of our children in setting codes of behaviour and  learning to take responsibility for their actions through our Leighton Core Values:

• Aim High
• Dream Big
• Lead By Example
• Never Give Up

These core values umbrella the everyday Leighton values that we expect the children to show in their attitude towards learning and within their behaviour around school and in the community. The values are reinforced through adults in school being good role models and through the direct teaching of the values. The children are awarded house points  for displaying the values in their behaviour in the classroom and around school. A child is chosen from each class for being an exemplary role model to the value of the month. A certificate is awarded in assembly each Friday by the Headteacher as recognition of the attitude and behaviour displayed by the child. Rule of Law is also explored through different aspects of the curriculum. The children are taught the value of and reasons that lay behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws and rules are broken.Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service into school  help reinforce this message.

How does the school promote individual liberty?

At Leighton School, children are actively encouraged to make informed choices, knowing that they are in a safe and a supportive environment. Children can suggest their own ideas through many aspects of the school day - where they would like to go for curriculum and reward visits and to enhance their experiences, learning ideas for their curriculum theme and curriculum events for their parents. We also offer a whole variety of activities in and after school which the children can choose to attend to develop themselves as people .Different views are welcomed in discussions around current affair issues and closer to home issues and indeed around our school. Roles are delegated throughout school such as reading buddies, House roles and responsibilities, Language Ambassadors, Junior Leadership team and classroom monitors and assembly and office monitors to name a few. Children are at the heart of our school and we ensure that they are actively involved with the vision and decision making for the school. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-safety and PSHE lessons.

How does the school promote mutual respect and tolerance to different faiths and beliefs?

Leighton School is a very diverse school and we pride ourselves in preparing the children for a society of different values and beliefs. We actively promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures. Religious Education lessons and PSHE lessons reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others. Members of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. The children regularly visit places of worship that are important to different faiths. 

The school works alongside parents from different cultures through a variety of different means to ensure that we have a harmonious and welcoming  school community. We often run family cafes to celebrate the different cultures of our families and to ensure that we are inclusive to all families at our school. Language Ambassadors ensure that children from different countries settle into life at Leighton and soon feel part of our school community. As a school,  adults always  display respectful behaviour to ensure that we are providing positive role models for our children.

British History

Through the study of British history pupils at our school are taught to understand the different periods in our history in a chronological order. This takes place in both KS1 and KS2 with cross curricular topic work linked to the study of specific periods in British history which underpins notions of our shared heritage, values and traditions. In addition the school commemorates historic events such as Armistice Day.  

Commitment to charity work

Despite Leighton school being in an area of high social and economic deprivation the school encourages it's pupils to participate in and support good causes and charities. This reinforces that there are large numbers of people both at home and overseas who are much less fortunate than ourselves and they deserve our support. The school and it's pupils and staff support a range of charities each year to underline and reinforce this value in the school. Children themselves often lead on charity events and will organise special days such as non uniform days and bake sales to raise money for a charity that has touched their lives. We have had children raise money for children with cancer and when there have been world disasters that have inspired our children to support and help others in the world. 

Headteacher
Leighton Primary School