British Values
It is incredibly important at HAF that our staff are always thinking about how we can effectively promote British Values in our school to ensure that our young people are prepared for life in modern Britain. In accordance with guidance published by the Department of Education in 2014, all staff have a duty to ‘actively 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. As an academy, the staff body has spent a large amount of time designing a curriculum that we feel gives our learners the opportunity to engage with these values in a meaningful way, and consider the ways in which we can play a role in our society to promote and respect them within our school and community. Of course, these are promoted very openly within the classroom across the different subject areas that are taught. The fundamental British values are also communicated implicitly. For example, in the way that we encourage our young people to treat each other with dignity and respect, and give them a chance to have their voices heard.
- Initiatives like the HAF School Council allow students to be heard and a play a role in shaping key decisions that are being made across the Academy. This is a key part of our mission to highlight student voice and demonstrates our commitment to further embed the value of democracy at Harris Falconwood.
- We also promote fundraising and charity work for a range of causes both domestic and international. Our appeal to support families in Ukraine saw a hugely warm and generous response from students and parents, and a range of other fundraisers have modelled our commitment to continue to cultivate an environment of mutual respect, tolerance and understanding.
- The HAF culture day has now become a permanent annual fixture. It was fantastic to see so many of our students celebrate the diversity that makes our school such a rich tapestry of different backgrounds, with all students celebrating the multiple identities that we all have.
- Our high expectations on student behaviour through our CARE behaviour model further highlights our efforts to promote a deeply ingrained respect for the rule of law, helping to prepare our students for life after HAF.
We all continue to look for ways to embed these core British values into our HAF community, and look forward to finding other ways that we can work with our young people to explore these further.
The British Values
The Department for Education sets out five clear strands in their definition of British Values. At Harris Academy Falconwood we truly agree with these values. British Values are taught in a variety of ways, both via the curriculum offered through our subject areas and also through our Being Great Human Beings (BGHB) curriculum and through our enrichment opportunities. Every member of staff at Harris Academy Falconwood is responsible for identifying and delivering key messages linked to the British Values through their everyday interactions with students and by acting as role models by embodying these values in all that they do. We further promote British Values through weekly assemblies, focus days and trips.
What are British Values and how do we as an Academy engage with them?
Democracy
We embed opportunities for democratic decisions to be made throughout our curriculum as well as during the broader experience that our students have during their time at the Academy. Democracy is also explicitly taught through the citizenship curriculum. Further details can be found on the citizenship subject area page and curriculum overview.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, is consistently reinforced at Harris Academy Falconwood, and consequently our students possess a strong sense of equality and understanding of what is right and wrong.
At Harris Academy Falconwood we are rigorous with both our behaviour and rewards policy that is understood by our staff body and students alike. Our behaviour policy is consistently reinforced both inside and outside of the classroom. At Harris Academy Falconwood, we truly believe in teaching our students the ‘rules’ of our Academy to ensure they consistently feel safe but are aware of the consequences of behaviour choices. Through this teaching, students are aware of how their actions affect others in the community and where needed, we work closely with students to ensure they are better equipped to make the right choices.
Individual Liberty
At Harris Academy Falconwood, we believe in encouraging our students to speak confidently and express their opinion in a safe environment. Students are also taught that they will have their opinions challenged and they have a right to reply giving their account. This is also fostered through our whole-school Oracy strategy of ABC talk (Ask, Build and Challenge). We encourage our students to make good choices and understand that it’s their right to receive an empowering education within a safe environment. Students are encouraged to exercise their rights and personal freedom, whilst appreciating that everyone is entitled to their individual voice. We consistently reinforce that practicing kindness is fostered in our values of ‘serving’ our community and any stereotyping will be challenged. Through this practice our students feel confident to express themselves as confident individuals.
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Staff and students treat each other with the utmost respect and courtesy. Students learn that their behaviours affect their rights and those of others. All members of our community are required to treat each other with respect. This message is communicated to students through assemblies and our Being Great Human Beings Curriculum, as well as in everyday interactions with staff and students, and creates a Culture of Kindness where everyone can thrive in a safe environment.
Prevention of bullying is very important within the Academy and is addressed through the Being Great Human Beings Curriculum, assemblies, surveys and our Anti Bullying Policy. We celebrate Anti-Bullying week with a series of whole school events to promote difference and equality in our Academy. This is led by our Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and Miss Whittingham, our Pastoral Year Lead. At Harris Academy Falconwood, we teach our students about the importance of being respectful when using the internet ensuring that bullying is rare at our Academy.
Tolerance of others
Harris Academy Falconwood is rich in cultural diversity and we are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs. Students learn that all members of the Academy community deserve to be treated with respect and that differences are to be accepted and celebrated.
Throughout our curriculum, teachers take opportunities to promote mutual respect and understanding. In Religious Education this is a particular focus as students learn about all World Religions and are taught about the importance of respecting and understanding different beliefs people have.
Assemblies, the Being Great Human Beings, and Citizenship Curriculum actively challenge stereotypes and reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others no matter their ethnicity, beliefs, gender or disability, serving each other through kindness where all students thrive and succeed as a result.
Citizenship Lessons
The core Citizenship curriculum is implemented through one 85-minute lesson per fortnight. Students across the Academy study the same themes each year in spiralling complexity. These sessions teach the core knowledge and allow students to develop their oracy skills, and promote critical thinking throughout.
Citizenship is offered as an option at GCSE for students. The curriculum is further developed and enhanced through the Academy’s assembly programme, our focus days and wider initiatives and strategies implemented within academy life. For more information on the curriculum covered in Citizenship, please visit our Citizenship subject page.
