Promoting British Values
Parkside School is committed to serving its community. It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group regardless of the individuals’ faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political status, financial status, or similar. Parkside is dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students. Parkside understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key British Values are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British values in the 2023 Prevent Strategy.
The five British Values are:
These 5 fundamental British values are entwined throughout our school, ensuring that they regularly emphasised to all through a variety of strategies, such as
Through the Curriculum:
Through the School Ethos and Environment:
Through Wider Opportunities:
By embedding these values across school life, we nurture respectful, responsible, and active young citizens who are well prepared to contribute positively to our society.
Below are some examples of how each of the fundamental British values are promoted at Parkside.
Democracy
The principle of democracy is consistently reinforced at Parkside with democratic processes being used for important decisions within the school community, for instance, through Parkside Parliament. The principle of democracy is also explored in the History and the Personal Development Curriculum, within Mentor time and via assemblies.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws (whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country) are consistently reinforced at Parkside Community School. Students are taught the rules and expectations of the school which are highlighted within the school’s behaviour curriculum and student expectations. Students are taught the value and the reasons behind laws that govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
Individual Liberty
At Parkside, students are actively encouraged to make independent choices with the knowledge that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Staff at our school educate and provide boundaries for students to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education.
Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms whilst being advised on how to exercise these safely. An example of this is through engaging with topics such as discrimination, digital literacy, and healthy relationships.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of Parkside’s core values; students learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect and this is reiterated through our Pastoral structure as well as our teaching and learning environment.
Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum by providing the opportunity for students to express their views in a safe environment. Parkside has in place a Behaviour and Anti-Bullying policy.
Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
This is achieved though equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society through the curriculum and assemblies. At Key stage 3, Parkside’s Humanities curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures. A varied range of experiences and stories are studied within Key Stage 3 History. Geography introduces the ways in which the physical, human and environmental world shapes our current attitudes; while Philosophy and Religious Studies examines not only the key beliefs and cultures that exist, but also the ethical debates that challenge society today. The school also recognises our increasingly diverse community by holding an annual culture day where the whole school is actively involved in celebrating our different faiths beliefs and heritage.
Through PSHE, Humanities, our wider curriculum and the Pastoral system, we help students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence; distinguish right from wrong, respect English law, encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and contribute positively to society, enabling students to appreciate and respect their own and others’ cultures.