At Holden Lane Academy, we uphold and teach children about British values which are defined as:

At Holden Lane Academy, we uphold and teach children about British values which are defined as:

The DfE have recently 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.” The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.

Our whole school assemblies are very important to us, and it is here that we regularly uphold the traditional values of empathy, respect and tolerance. These are also taught within formal PSHE, Citizenship and RE lessons and, indeed, the British values of respect, tolerance and empathy are fostered throughout all of our daily interactions: modelled by staff and nurtured in pupils.

Democracy: Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard.  Pupils also have the opportunity to air their opinions and ideas through our School Council. The elections of the Head Boy and Head Girl are based on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action.

Liberty: Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment, we provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely; for example:

• choices around the participation in extra-curricular activities
• choices around the school lunch menu

Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely, such as in our PSHE lessons.

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 Holden Lane Academy.  Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and 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 Service and Fire Service help reinforce this message.

Tolerance: At Holden Lane Academy we believe tolerance is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Issues of intolerance are dealt with immediately both individually and through whole class discussions.

Respect: Children are taught that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. Mutual respect is a value learnt from an early age. In R.E children learn to respect and tolerate other faiths.  Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy are based around values such as ‘respect’ and ‘responsibility’ and these values determine how we live as a school community.