The Fundamental British Values are defined as;
- Democracy,
- The rule of law,
- Individual liberty,
- Mutual respect and
- Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
These values were defined by the government in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and the Prevent Duty Guidance for England and Wales (2015, updated 2019). All schools have a statutory duty to actively promote them as part of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development.
At Birch Hill, we recognise our responsibility to prepare children for life in modern Britain. We are committed to ensuring that the fundamental British values are introduced, discussed and lived out through the ethos, curriculum and everyday work of our school. As part of Maiden Erlegh Trust, we reflect the Trust's values — to aim high, to be inclusive, and to work together — in all that we do.
We value the diverse backgrounds of all children, staff and families, and we celebrate these through a wide range of lessons and events, teaching respect and tolerance for one another and an understanding of the similarities and differences within our community and the wider world. We do not tolerate discrimination of any kind, and we are committed to treating every member of our community fairly and with respect, regardless of background or any protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010.
As a school that champions children's rights, we teach children to understand and respect both their own rights and the rights of others. Through this, and through our wider personal development curriculum, we help children build the confidence, resilience and understanding they need to keep themselves safe and to recognise and resist harmful influences.
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How we promote the values
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Democracy
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- We have an elected School Council and House Captains, which we use to teach children about democracy and the electoral process.
- We encourage volunteering in and out of school, including roles such as Buddies, Sports Leaders, Digital Leaders and Eco Warriors.
- We raise money for local and national charities. Each year, our Year 6 children hold a month-long charity event — recent causes have included Molly's Charity, James Giant Journey and Sian's Charity.
- Democracy is further explored through our PSHE lessons and assemblies.
- Our four Golden Rules — Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Ready to Learn and Be Honest — give children a shared, agreed framework for life together.
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The Rule of Law
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- We hold high expectations of children's conduct, reflected in our Behaviour Policy, with rewards that are consistent and sanctions that are clear and graduated.
- We recognise good behaviour and effort through stickers, House points, certificates in assembly and the celebration of good work in Key Stage assemblies.
- Through our school values and Golden Rules, children learn how to earn trust and respect, and develop a strong sense of right and wrong — doing the right thing even when it is difficult.
- Our local Police Officer / PCSO visits the school to talk with the children, and children learn about law and order through the curriculum.
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Individual Liberty
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- Through our school values, our behaviour system and assemblies, children are taught about personal responsibility, choice, ambition and aspiration.
- Children are encouraged to follow their interests and talents in areas such as art, music and sport.
- Children learn how to keep themselves safe, including online, through workshops delivered by the Local Authority, the Trust and external organisations such as the NSPCC, as well as through our PSHE and Computing curriculum.
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Mutual Respect
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- We hold high expectations of children's conduct, reflected in our Behaviour Policy and Equality Policy.
- Through our school values and assemblies, children are taught to respect one another, to be cooperative, collaborative and supportive, and to understand and value difference.
- We teach children to respect all people and all families, whatever their background, faith or identity, in keeping with our commitment to equality.
- Mutual respect is further promoted through our PSHE lessons and assemblies.
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Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs.
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- Tolerance and understanding of different faiths and beliefs is promoted through our Religious Education curriculum, in which children learn about a range of religions — their beliefs, places of worship and festivals.
- Children learn that people may hold different faiths, or none, and that everyone's beliefs should be treated with respect.
- This is supported by class, Key Stage and whole-school assemblies that mark and celebrate significant religious festivals.
- Local religious leaders visit the school, and children have opportunities to visit places of worship.
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