British Values
At John Keble School, we feel a deep responsibility to nurture and develop core British values that can guide our lives and be shared and expressed by everyone – regardless of faith or belief.
These guide our school community, helping to form character, spiritual awareness and self-esteem and are firmly based in the commandment of Jesus to ‘love your neighbour,’ and to treat others as we would expect to be treated.
John Keble School places great emphasis on developing children who value and respect themselves and others, who love learning and have a deep sense of fairness and social justice.
As a school community we seek to promote reflection about children’s own beliefs and faith and to encourage their own interest in and respect of other religions and faiths.
As a Church of England school, we aim to anchor these values in the Christian faith through our collective worship and whole school ethos.
We believe the school’s core values encourage children to recognise the difference between right and wrong and how their own actions affect others. As this understanding develops children learn how to co-operate and empathise with others of differing backgrounds.
Democracy
Democracy is modelled at the school. Pupils are listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and respect the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard.
Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our Junior Leadership Team.
They also have a chance to explore other leadership roles and take responsibility for change for example through being Travel Plan Ambassadors, helping in younger classes or running stalls at school events.
Rule of Law
The importance of laws whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced. The school has its own rules that are clearly understood by all and seen to be necessary to ensure that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment.
Our Christian values enable children to find examples of why we follow a code of conduct and to recognise and appreciate when others demonstrate positive behaviour, which is particularly evident when we focus on justice as a core value. We teach the value and reason behind 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 and Fire Service help reinforce this message. The school’s restorative approach helps children under the consequences and how, when they do not follow the law, their actions affect others.
Individual Liberty
In school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education.
Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our assemblies, E-Safety, PSHE and RE lessons. Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect
Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy are based around Core Christian values in addition to “respect” and these values determine how we live as a community at John Keble School. Worship is based on our Christian values and they are central to how we expect everyone to go about their life at our school. Values are highly visible around the school and can be seen in every class.
Our pupils live by the values and are keen to identify them in one another. They understand what they mean and can demonstrate these fully. The pupils know and understand what is expected and that it is imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have and to everything, however big or small.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
This is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. As John Keble School is very culturally diverse we demonstrate understanding of and tolerance in all aspects of our daily life at school.
British Values and the Religious Education Curriculum
Our religious education curriculum gives our children the opportunity to learn about and learn from religion and belief around the world, including all the major world religions. As a Church of England school, our RE syllabus is weighted towards Christianity, but includes comparisons across religions in each unit of enquiry.