British Values and SMSC

At Alma Park Primary, our culture of mutual respect, belonging and collaboration is underpinned by British Values, which are taught and learned through our school vision, ethos, agreed rules, curriculum and teaching.

In line with Ofsted guidance, we believe these fundamental values should be actively promoted and modelled through everyday life at school.

'Ensure that they and the school promote tolerance of and respect for people of all faiths (or those of no faith), cultures and lifestyles; and support and help, through their words, actions and influence within the school and more widely in the community, to prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain.'

The government defines these values as:

  • Democracy
  • Rule of law
  • Individual liberty
  • Respect
  • Tolerance

The government’s definition of British Values are reflected within Alma Park’s Charter, which highlights the school's commitment to the promotion of British Values. The Charter states that as a school we aim to:

  • Foster a caring atmosphere where we value ourselves and respect others
  • Appreciate the richness and diversity of our community, challenging discrimination and promoting understanding

At Alma Park, we would actively challenge children, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views. We value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate these. We have found this approach to be enriching for all parties as it teaches tolerance and respect for the differences in our community and the wider world. Underpinning all of this, are a range of curriculum topics which have strong links to the British Values.


Spiritual Moral, Social & Cultural Development

At Alma Park we recognise that the personal development of pupils, spiritually, morally, socially and culturally, plays a significant part in their ability to learn and achieve. We believe that British Values are closely connected with pupils’ SMSC development, as they develop the skills and attitudes that allow them to participate fully and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.

We therefore aim to provide an education that provides pupils with opportunities to explore and develop their own values and beliefs, spiritual awareness, high standards of personal behaviour, a positive, caring attitude towards other people, an understanding of their social and cultural traditions, and an appreciation of the diversity and richness of other cultures. This reflects the Department of Education’s advice to schools on promoting British Values, as part of SMSC, 'Pupils must be encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance.'

The school community is a place where pupils can find acceptance for themselves as unique individuals and where forgiveness and the opportunity to start again is fundamental to our ethos.

Pupils learn to differentiate between right and wrong and have frequent opportunities to develop an understanding of how their actions affect other people.  They are encouraged to value themselves and others, to respect the civil and criminal law of England.

Pupils are helped to understand the need for rules and the need to abide by rules for the good of everyone. School and classroom rules reflect, reiterate, promote and reward acceptable behaviour and provide opportunities to celebrate pupils’ work and achievements.

All adults in the school model and promote expected behaviour, treating all people as unique and valuable individuals and showing respect for pupils and their families.

All curriculum areas seek to use illustrations and examples drawn from as wide a range of cultural contexts as possible. This is reflected in teachers’ planning and purchasing decisions.

School assemblies provide opportunities for the sharing of knowledge and understanding of a wide range of cultures and religions from across Britain. Throughout the school year, we follow the seasonal changes in Britain and look at British culture and traditions, helping children develop a broad knowledge of public institutions and services in Britain.

Further information can be downloaded from the links below.

British Values at Alma Park SMSC School Overview Alma Park Curriculum Coverage of SMSC