British Values

Promoting British values

Kingdown School is committed to serving its community.  It recognises the multi-cultural, multi faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom.  It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are celebrated, protected from harm and not subject to not intimidation or radicalisation.

Kingdown School works to ensure an environment which strives for equality for all, free from discrimination of the protected characteristics, or of any other aspect of an individual’s life.

Kingdown School 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.

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 Prevent Strategy.

The British Values are:

Democracy

The principle of democracy is regularly reinforced at Kingdown School, through the PSHE curriclulum, the tutor time theme and in assemblies. We also aim to demonstrate the importance and benefits of democracy through such processes as our student leadership selection methods; finding representatives for our house councils, and the positions of house captain and head students.

The rule of law

Students are taught the rules and expectations of the school which are highlighted by the student code of conduct 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.  Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service reinforce this message.

Individual liberty

At Kingdown School, students are actively encouraged to make independent choices, with the knowledge that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Staff at Kingdown 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 and are advised on how to exercise these safely.

Mutual respect

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Respect is a strong part of Kingdown School.  Students learn that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and those of others. This is highlight through our rewards programme, and behaviour and sanction processes. Members of the school community treat each other with respect and this is reflected across the classrooms and tutor bases.

This British value is also shown through groups like the Kingdown Equalities Team, a student-led group who work to maintain equality for all across the school and wider community.

We are a Stonewall Champion School and enjoy support and visits from Stonewall Role Models, to celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Additionally, visits from organisations like The Holocaust Education Trust, and Humanists UK, help to highlight the importance of respect for and tolerance of all faiths and beliefs.

We aim to give students the opportunity to experience diversity within the school and wider communities, such as our Year 7 ‘World Fair’.  Additionally, students are actively encouraged to share their faith and beliefs within the school and celebrate festivities throughout the calendar year.  The Life Skills curriculum covers religious education, which is compulsory for all students up to the end of KS4, provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures.

Kingdown School strives endlessly to ensure that its students leave with the strongest foundation of values upon which to build a successful life and a successful contribution to our Society.