Swaffield School

Promoting British Values

We agree with the Department for Education’s five part definition of British Values:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty
  • Mutual respect
  • Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

We believe it is incredibly important that these British Values permeate through every school in the country.

At Swaffield you will encounter these values throughout our everyday school life.

Our promotion of Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural understanding has been described by Ofsted as:

The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent, pupils develop very well as articulate, courteous and considerate young people.

We promote these values in our school community

Democracy

Pupil voice plays a big part in life at Swaffield. Our pupil elected school council play a strong role in our school.

They are elected by their class peers and are involved in making Swaffield a better place to learn. Pupils have input in their learning and what they would like to learn which promotes pupil voice. For example, the pupils decide as a class how they would like to learn certain skills in subjects and this is used to inform the teacher’s planning. Pupil questionnaires and interviews are also conducted throughout the year. We know that the formation of the school council and the active participation of our pupils will sow the seeds for a more sophisticated understanding of democracy in the future.

The Rule of Law

Our pupils will encounter rules and laws throughout their entire lives.

We want our pupils to understand that whether these laws govern the class, the school, the neighbourhood or the country, they are set for good reasons and must be adhered to. This understanding of the importance of rules will be consistently reinforced through assemblies and our curriculum.

The involvement of our pupils in the creation of the school rules helps them to understand the reasons behind rules and the consequences if rules are broken. Through philosophical enquiry in our PSHE lessons, we provide opportunities to debate and discuss the reasons for laws so children can recognise the importance of these for their own protection. Throughout the year we welcome visits from members of the wider community including police, the fire brigade and many more. We believe that clear explanations and real life stories emphasise the importance of the Rule of Law for our pupils.

Individual Liberty

We invest a lot of time in creating a positive culture in our school, so children are in a safe environment where choices and freedoms are encouraged.

At times, we provide opportunities for children to choose their learning tasks during lessons and encourage them to select the task that will challenge them the most, giving them more freedom to determine their own learning. We offer a range of clubs which pupils have the freedom to choose from, based on their interests. Through our E-Safety and PSHE sessions, we educate children on their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely. At Swaffield we believe that valuing choice and freedom in daily school life will foster a value for individual liberty as the children embark upon their adult lives.

We have a right to be heard

We have a responsibility to listen and to tell the truth

We have a right to friends

We have a responsibility to include others in games and make sure others have friends too

We have a right to be kept safe from harm

We have a responsibility to behave sensibly and keep ourselves and others safe

We have the right to a clean environment

We have a responsibility to look after our school

We have the right not to be hurt

We have a responsibility to be kind and gentle

Mutual Respect

In a school with many different languages and ethnic groups, our pupils learn together with absolute respect for each other.

We are a rights respecting school and our school charter reinforces the importance and need for mutual respect.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Our inner London location means we are fortunate to be surrounded by endless diversity which we respect and celebrate.

We offer a culturally rich and diverse curriculum in which all major religions are studied and respected. Parents and leaders of different faiths are welcomed to the school to share their beliefs, while we also visit numerous places of worship. At Swaffield we strongly believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. Through our curriculum and the routines of our daily school life, we strive to demonstrate tolerance and help children to become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future.

Knight School 

We have been running Knight School at Swaffield since 2008.

The Knight School programme promotes pride, courtesy and respect by encouraging parents and children to take responsibility for their actions. Its focus is on human empathy, social learning and positive role modelling.

A knight or lady will right wrongs and fight injustice. A knight or lady demonstrates the ideal behaviour that we would like to see in modern society. Chivalry is not simply compliance with certain codes of conduct; it is the embodiment of moral values and standards of behaviour.

At Knight School we aim to teach these values to young people aged between six and eight years of age during an exciting ten week course. The successful candidates are ‘knighted’ at a ceremony in our hall.

Visit our Knight School page to find our more.

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