British Values
The Department for Education expects schools 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
At Edward the Elder Primary School we pride ourselves on the promotion of British Values which are embedded throughout the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. We strive to ensure that our students develop a sense of understanding about our country and the values that we hold. We value and promote the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all children and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate these.
 
At Edward the Elder Primary School our curriculum provides an opportunity to integrate British Values into each child's learning and how best to apply these to real-life contexts. Our school values - Empowered, Listeners, Successful, Together, Open-Minded and Nurturing – also support the promotion of British values.
Democracy
All pupils have the opportunity to make choices throughout the course of each school day. They are encouraged to reflect upon their choices and to express their opinions in the appropriate manner knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Our curriculum provides many opportunities to teach pupils about Democracy, most notably Year 4’s topic Law and Order where pupils have the opportunity to meet local representatives including Local Councillors and Members of Parliament.
 
Democracy is established at our school and children have the opportunities to have their voices heard. Examples of this are:​
​
Pupil Voice:
Opportunities are provided for pupils to share their thoughts through annual surveys and regular conversations with school leaders.
​
Edward the Elder’s Voice:
Children across school have the opportunity to nominate themselves to represent their class as a school councillor, subject ambassador and/or health champion. Year 6 pupils can also put themselves forward to be Team Captains.
 
Pupils are encouraged to nominate themselves for an Ambassador role and are selected by class teachers or chosen by peers. Pupils who wish to be School Councillors create election campaigns and are voted for by their classmates, mirroring our national system of democracy. Pupil Premium and SEND pupils are encouraged and supported with their nominations and votes. Pupils selected to represent their class for one of these roles are presented with a badge and meet with fellow ambassadors regularly to plan ways to develop school life or organise community events. They are encouraged to report back to their classes and seek the views of their peers to take back to meetings, ensuring that pupils voice is heard and has an impact on school life.
 
Badge Holders and Ambassadors are role models and promote the core British Values, school rules and Edward the Elder values through the activities that they undertake. These include taking part in community events such as the WolvOlympic Torch run, raising money for charity and supporting wellbeing.
​
The Rule of Law
Our school rules are regularly taught and consistently enforced and reinforced. Pupils are taught the importance of following rules to ensure that they are always ready, respectful and safe. The impact of not following rules is shared and the curriculum provides many opportunities to teach the importance of respect and consideration for other people. Children 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. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message. ​
​
Individual Liberty
Pupils at Edward the Elder recognise that each one of them is unique and that we are proud of them all. Pupils are encouraged to demonstrate their talents without fear or compromise. Throughout the school day, children are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. ​Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their own choices and the impact on others through restorative conversations. A range of clubs and extra-curricular activities are provided, which encourage pupils to follow their own interests including, sports, music, creative arts.
​
​
Mutual Respect
Our students are part of a vibrant and diverse school where all cultures and personalities are treasured. We celebrate multicultural Britain, and ensure that our students are aware of, and enthusiastic about, the incredible range of culture and perspectives that our local area and nation has to offer. Assemblies and school events provide opportunities to celebrate people and events from a range of cultures and backgrounds.
 
Weekly merit assemblies are held to celebrate pupils’ achievements both in and out of school.
 
School rules are regularly taught and consistently enforced, ensuring pupils develop respect for others and consider the impact of their behaviour.
​
​
Tolerance of those with different Faiths and Beliefs
Our school is based in an area of cultural diversity, and our school communities reflect this. We promote and celebrate diversity with the children, helping them to understand their place in our society and how they can unite with others to build a progressive and understanding tomorrow.
 
Assemblies address key themes such as belonging, prejudices and prejudice-based bullying. Our PSHE curriculum tackles bullying and teaches pupils about discrimination. History lessons cover periods of time when discrimination was rife, particularly through our whole school Conflict theme which covers civil rights and world wars.
 
Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. For Religious Education lessons, we follow the Wolverhampton Agreed Syllabus and pupils develop in-depth understanding about a range of faiths. Our children and staff have celebrated various festivals and events including Diwali and Eid to experience the similarities and differences with our faith. We have links with local churches and temples and school visits take place, enabling pupils to learn first hand about others’ religions and practices.
​​
​Edward the Elder prides itself on holding whole school celebrations which develop children’s cultural capital by providing a wealth of experiences.
​
-
The Platinum Jubilee was celebrated in school with a special themed day.
-
The Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games provide the opportunity for the whole school to participate in learning about other countries. Trust Schools collaborate in joint projects but also compete in a range of sporting tournaments, providing opportunities for children from different faiths, cultures and backgrounds to meet and learn from each other.  
-
A range of Charity Appeals are supported throughout the year including the Poppy Appeal, Children in Need, Comic Relief and Harvest provides an excellent opportunity to provide for our local people by supporting the local food bank. We also have extremely close links with Wednesfield Rotary in a partnership of mutual support.​​
​
​
​