The DfE have 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
• Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”

At Hyrstmount Junior School, these values are reinforced regularly as part of our curriculum as well as through the daily experiences of life at our school. Detailed below are just some of the ways that British values, or universal values as we refer to them, are promoted here at Hyrstmount. 

Democracy

The children at our school learn about democracy in a number of ways. Our learners experience democracy in action and are given the platform to express their views and influence the decisions the school makes. For example:

• Learners elect school councillors who represent their class at school council meetings
• House captains are elected by their peers to represent their House Team and lead by example
• Learners complete an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school
• Local politicians and councillors visit the school to talk about parliament and democracy
• Learners are actively involved in judging competitions that children have entered, voting for their favourite entry
• Learners have the opportunity to vote for their preferred choices of Golden Time activity

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be class rules, school rules or UK laws are consistently reinforced at Hyrstmount. Pupils are taught why laws are necessary, and that everyone has a responsibility to uphold the law. Children also learn that when rules or laws are broken, there are often consequences.  Detailed below are some of the different things that we do in school to promote the rule of law:

• We share a common set of school values that everyone in the school community upholds (respect, empathy, responsibility, cooperation and determination)
• At the start of the year, classes decide what classroom rules they should have. These are referred to regularly throughout the remainder of the year as a way of reinforcing good behaviour
• Through the consistent application of the school’s behaviour policy 
• Visits from the fire service and police 
• Delivery of a Drugs Education Programme (SPICED)
• Assemblies which reinforce the importance of school rules and everyone’s collective responsibility to uphold them

Individual Liberty

Within school, learners are actively encouraged to make choices. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for our children to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Listed below are some of the ways that our children learn about individual liberty and personal choice: 

• Choosing their Golden Time activity for the half-term
• Participation in extra-curricular activities of their choice
• Expressing their views in class discussions and debates
• Helping to choose the new books the school has purchased for class libraries
• Learning about political campaigners and influential characters in history such as Martin Luther King and Gandhi.

Mutual Respect

Respecting one another is one of Hyrstmount’s Heroic Values and is therefore central to the school’s aims and ethos. 

Mutual respect and understanding is promoted in school:

• Through the day to day interactions between everyone who works in our school
• Through the consistent application of the school’s behaviour and anti-bullying policy
• By ensuring whole school assemblies teach our children to show respect to one another
• By our children having the opportunity to take part in competitive sport where they learn to play fairly and to show respect towards their opponents 
• By our befrienders, who support other children in dealing with conflict,  promoting friendship and modelling the positive behaviours we expect in school

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Hyrstmount is situated in a culturally diverse community. The school works hard to ensure that our children learn about different faiths, cultures and beliefs so that they are fully-equipped to live in a multi-cultural society. Detailed below are some of the ways in which we achieve this:

• Our RE curriculum ensures that children learn about a variety of religions and religious festivals
• Children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths
• Members of different faiths and religions are invited into school to talk to the children 
• Assemblies include stories from a variety of different faiths and cultures
• Some of our learners in Year 3 have the opportunity to take part in a school linking project with a Church School in a semi-rural area of Kirklees

At Hyrstmount we will actively challenge learners, staff, governors or parents/carers expressing opinions contrary to our universal values, including ‘extremist’ views.