British Values

Promotion of British Values at Brewood CE Middle Academy

BMA – PREVENT British Values Leaflet Sept-2023

At Brewood CE Middle Academy we value the diverse backgrounds of all our children, our families, staff and governors.

The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent strategy and these values have been reinforced over the last five years through curriculum and extra curriculum activities.

All schools are expected to focus on, and be able to demonstrate how work with pupils is effective in embedding British values.

The Department for Education (DFE) has 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’.

 

British values are embedded in the life of Brewood CE Middle Academy. They are actively promoted through spiritual, moral, social and cultural education and form a part of our distinctive Christian character. British and Christian values are regularly promoted through high quality teaching across the curriculum, within collective Worship, Citizenship and by our positive behaviour policy which allows pupils to develop and demonstrate skills and attributes that will allow them to contribute positively to life in Modern Britain. These values and attributes are promoted and reinforced by all staff and used to provide a model of behaviour for all our pupils.

 

 

 

The way in which the Brewood CE Middle Academy community behaves and treats others is built upon a basis of respect, individual worth and Christian love, while recognising that many of these guiding principles are present in other faiths and cultures.

 

 

 

 

 

We have outlined some examples of how we believe we are discussing and developing each value.

Our British Values ‘Ongoing’ Display

Brewood pupils welcome the Queen to the opening of the new Jaguar Land-Rover Plant

 

DEMOCRACY

Brewood CE Middle Academy has an active School Council which values the views of pupils across school. Pupils give a presentation in order to be elected by their peers in each form. The School Council meets regularly with staff members who listen to their views on a wide range of school issues. In the last four years pupils were asked opinions about school meals, the development of a proposed spirituality area and met with the Chair of Governors to complete an ‘exit survey’ on a range of questions about school.

 

Pupil questionnaires and interviews by staff are also used to gain information of aspects such as homework, marking and feedback and challenge in lessons. Pupils’ views are respected, and where possible, comments and suggestions are acted upon. Improvements to our homework and marking policy have been made following pupil feedback.

Pupil voice is encouraged and acted upon.
Where possible, we have supported charity events following requests from pupils.
Each term, form groups nominate two pupils – one to be a Form Captain and one to be Vice Captain. The successful pupils then represent their class within school and carry out a range of duties.

Pupils can apply to be prefects and if they meet all the criteria and are selected, can then apply by letter to the Executive Principal for the role of Head boy, girl or the senior positions on the pupil leadership team. The selection process is rigorously fair and the views of staff and other stakeholders help in the selection process.
We outline our expectations of pupils in our ‘classroom non-negotiables’ and through our behaviour and rewards systems. We help pupils to distinguish right from wrong, to encourage pupils to listen to the views of others even if they are different from their own.

The Pupil Council Visits the House of Commons to meet with our MP Gavin Williamson

 We invited Childnet into school to speak to our pupils around the laws surrounding E-Safety and to support us in staying safe online

 

RULE OF LAW

The Pupil Council have been invited to the Houses of Parliament by our MP – Gavin Williamson. He gives us a detailed tour of the House of Lords and Commons to outline the Democratic process. He also carries out a question and answer session with council members.

Each year we invite a local parish councillor in to Brewood to describe their role and their responsibilities within the community.

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school worship, assemblies or form time.

Our ‘Pupil Code of Conduct’ has been designed by our pupils to form the word GREAT and is displayed in every class and in each pupil’s organiser in order to remind all pupils of our high expectations.

The school’s ‘well-being’ charter’ outlines different forms of bullying and what pupils should do if this takes place.

Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

Through discussion in all our history themes – the rule of law is a key feature.

RE and LIFE (PSHE) lessons cover religious laws, commandments and practices.

In RE we encourage pupils to debate and discuss the reasons for laws so that all pupils understand the importance of them for their own protection. As part of the LIFE programme in Year 8, pupils study Crime and the Law in which they discuss the effects of anti-social behaviour and criminal activity on individuals and the wider society.

During the year we welcome visitors from the wider community including the police, fire brigade and other key groups. They are able to give pupils valuable advice on their own safety and the need to follow rules. Special assemblies are often organised for visitors and educational visits all reiterate the need to follow rules and laws. The charity Childnet led a workshop for parents focussing on the laws surrounding social media and gave them resources that could be used to keep their children safe whilst online.

 

 

Pupils who perform a kind, friendly, helpful gesture to others in school or in the local community are presented with a ‘Good Citizen Award’ in celebration praise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY

Within school pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. At Brewood we educate and provide boundaries for young people to make choices safely through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education.

Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedom and are advised how to exercise these safely, through E-Safety activities and pastoral form time activities. In lessons, we encourage discussions to further develop freedom of speech amongst pupils, ensuring all are involved and understand their right to speak, whilst being tolerant of others’ views and opinions.

 

There are many opportunities for pupils to make choices, particularly through their choice of clubs, sports or musical activities and wider opportunities such as participation in certain visits or taking on responsibilities such as Librarian, tour guide or helper at one of our termly open days. They can also nominate someone in the Community to receive a special gift of food at harvest time. Food items are also donated to local food banks.

Residential opportunities are offered to all year groups to develop skills of independence, teamwork, determination and challenge.

In October 2023 our pupil leadership team visited Wolverhampton Grammar School to hear the Hon Stuart Lawrence speak as part of our involvement with Black History Month. Stuart spoke of his brother and how racism had changed all of their lives, showing us how we can be the positive change in the world. Stuart was an inspiring speaker and pupils were all very moved by the experience

 

 

MUTUAL RESPECT

Respect is one of our eight Christian values chosen by pupils, staff and governors for inclusion on our new school vision shield.

Mutual respect is at the heart of all our values at Brewood. Pupils learn that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are expected to treat each other with respect. Our pupil code of conduct highlights the importance of being “respectful to everyone, including myself”

Our choir sings at local community events and Christmas lunch for the Community. We host our weekly intergenerational lunches in school for senior citizens, as well as for past pupils of the Old Brewood Grammar School.

All are intended to help pupils think of others who need support and to respect the work of agencies across the country and globally who support communities less fortunate than ourselves.

Brewood Pupils lay a wreath at the War Memorial in the churchyard of St Mary & St Chads’ Church as part of our Remembrance Day service.

 

 

 

FAITHS AND BELIEFS

Brewood is situated in a local area which is not greatly culturally diverse, but is near to culturally diverse communities such as Wolverhampton. Therefore, we are placing more emphasis in promoting diversity within the school curriculum. Our RE curriculum reinforces this through study about Christianity, Sikhism, Judaism and Hinduism, as well as through multicultural themed days.

During the year we have a number of planned visits to different places of worship as well as looking at opportunities for speakers to come into school.

 

WORSHIP

Understanding of others is embedded within all subjects, particularly RE, enabling pupils to gain an enhanced understanding of the place of religion in a multi-faith world and their own place in a culturally diverse society.

Through school worship we explore themes which develop our understanding of others e.g. through a discussion about Syrian refugees as part of our theme of ‘Supporting Others’.

Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily life we aim to help children to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens.

Group of pupils have attended visits to Lichfield Cathedral in order to learn about the history of the Cathedral and get the opportunity to explore the Cathedral itself and its amazing architecture.

 

CHARITY EVENTS

At Brewood we also encourage pupils to support a range of charity events and over the last two years these have included the shoebox appeal to support the Samaritans Purse, the harvest collection for local food banks, Children in Need, Comic Relief, the Big MacMillan Coffee Morning, the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, the Air Ambulance, Nepal Earthquake appeal through Christian Aid, as well as other fundraising activities some of which have been chosen by the student council.

 

 

 

INTERNATIONAL LINKS

Our international visits to France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Poland have widened pupils’ knowledge of other people’s faiths, beliefs and cultures.

In May last year pupil once again had the opportunity to travel to Belgium to see the EuroSpace centre. Pupils had the chance to experience lots of new space related activities making real rockets which were let off together and went at least 100 metres into the sky.  Children enjoyed the 10 metre freefall where they were hauled up and let down a huge slide.  There was a moonwalking activity where they sat on a chair with a virtual reality mask and were bounced along as if on the moon.  The centrifugal force room involved the children spinning around and subsequently pinned to the outer wall by the force.  You can imagine how exciting this was!

 

 

 

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS

We plan to:-

• Develop stronger links with our local MP and members of the judiciary service to support the delivery of the LIFE programme.
• Extend our visits programme to places of worship to enhance pupils’ understanding of other faiths.
• Give pupils more opportunities to have a say in the way that our school develops in the future.
• Widen our use of pupil conferencing to seek views on teaching and learning, homework and improvements to the school environment i.e. the creation of a ‘biodiversity garden’
• Improve further the outdoor equipment provision for use at break and lunchtimes so that all pupils feel fully engaged and incidences of inappropriate conduct are very rare