Blossomfield Values

Blossomfield Infant School British Values Teaching British Values The definition of British Values was set out by the government in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and added to Ofsted inspection guidance in July 2014 . ‘to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.’ At Blossomfield Infant School these values are regularly promoted through high quality teaching, a rounded programme of assemblies and a positive behaviour policy allowing pupils to develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain

Democracy Our school has many groups such as Class Council, School’s Nutrition and Action Group, the Eco-Team, and Golden Tea which represent the children’s voices. They work hand in hand with the Senior Leadership team to raise standards and ensure that their views and ideas are taken into account at Blossomfield Infant School.  

Consequences of your actions, right & wrong Rule of Law Consequences of your actions, right & wrong We have a very strong but positive behaviour policy. Through this we consistently promote our high expectations of all at Blossomfield Infant School. We have Golden Rules of the school, which everyone is expected to follow. Golden Time is used as a positive reinforcement of good behaviour for all. Those who break one of our Golden Rules or disrupt the learning will lose one or more ‘Golden Minutes’. Any pupil regularly losing five or more Golden minutes in a week, attends the Head teacher’s office in order to explain their behaviour and how they are going to improve it for next week. This is an extremely successful system with clear, high expectations of all. It shows a clear link between right and wrong behaviour and therefore links to the civil and criminal law of England.

Individual Liberty We provide a safe and supportive environment in which we encourage all to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms while respecting that everyone else also has those same rights. Pupils are encouraged to make good choices within safe boundaries. They are given opportunities to resolve conflicts effectively. Children are taught strategies through SEAL and circle time.

Caring, sharing and listening to others Mutual respect Caring, sharing and listening to others We believe that respect for others is a vital component of moral development. We encourage open discussions in all areas but particularly in lessons which promote citizenship such as SEAL, Circle time and P4C (Philosophy for Children). We actively support all to develop their own reasoned views about moral and ethical issues. We encourage all pupils to understand that they have rights and responsibilities as citizens within Blossomfield Infant School and the wider community. For example the Class Council has an annual meeting to select the charities which will be supported for Charity Week. Discussions focus on ways we can help and support those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

Of those of different Faiths and Beliefs Tolerance Of those of different Faiths and Beliefs Our community is made up of people from a wide range of backgrounds. We aim to promote the understanding and appreciation of different faiths and cultures both within our school and the wider world. We actively promote courtesy and good manners towards all. We actively monitor and tackle all forms of bullying and harassment (This includes cyber bullying, prejudice-based bullying related to appearance, SEN, sex, race, religion and belief, disability, sexual orientation or gender reassignment)

Understanding Britain We celebrate ‘Britishness’ and British Culture through the curriculum. For example we look at foods that are traditionally British, talk about them, cook them and taste them. Blossomfield hold a British Food Week each year. During this week we help the children not only learn about different foods, but also to learn about how Britain is made up of different countries which have to work together. We contemplate the notion of democracy and the voting system through the theme of ‘Better Together’. We involve the children in Elections in a variety of ways to help them understand the British voting system.

We celebrate Saints days – St Andrew, St Patrick, St George, and St David. We listen to their stories and celebrate in an appropriate manner. We celebrate traditional British events such as Harvest festival, Bonfire Night and Remembrance Day. The school cook sometimes does a special dinner on these days.

We recognise and support those men and women in the forces who protect our freedom through celebrating ‘armed forces day’. We also invite the armed forces into school to share aspects of their work with the children.

Fund raising for worthy causes near and far We support charities worldwide but recognise that charities near to home also need to be supported. Therefore, we ensure that we regularly raise funds for worthy causes closer to home. Our families are very good at supporting us in all we do for charity.

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