British Values

"Pupils benefit from a well-developed curriculum for religious education.
This makes a major contribution to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain and teaching them about British values."

- Ofsted December 2017

At St Mary’s we encourage our pupils to have the skills and attitudes which will enable them to play a positive part in life in Britain and serve as active citizens.

We promote the British values defined by the Government:

• Democracy
• The Rule of Law
• Individual Liberty
• Mutual Respect
• Tolerance of different Faiths and Beliefs

Our school reflects these Brisith values, along with our core Christian values, in all that we do.

Respect, love and forgiveness are the fundamental elements of everyday life at St Mary’s. 

We aim to nuture our children on their journey through school life so that they can grown into safe, caring, kind, responsible and democratic adults who make a postiive difference to society and the wider world.

Democracy

Jesus listened to all people, valuing their voice and treating them with dignity, just as we encourage the children to share their ideas and opinions through school councils meetings and class votes. They understand that this is not possible in all countries of the World and our pupils are encouraged to have their own views, opinions and explanations for these.  At St Mary's we do this through questionnaires, forums, ideas boxes and topical discussion and in line with our Catholic Social Teaching upholding the importance of involement in community life and the dignity of each person. We also have had visits from the local MP and councillors.

Rule of Law

The children understand that there are rules and that these are to keep them safe, it also helps them understand between what is morally right and wrong. Jesus taught respect for laws, reminding his followers to be good citizens and act with justice.  At St Mary's we have a "growth mindet" approach where we teach the children that it is ok to make mistakes and that we can learn from these, enabling them to reflect on their actions.  We have visits from the local police, whilst also celebrating achievements through our weekly Growth Mindset assemblies.

Individual Liberty

God gives us the freedom to make choices, but encourages us to act with love and responsibility.  Children are encouraged to express themselves, challenge stereotyping and always be careful not to cause offence to others who have contrary viewpoints.  We also encourage the children to recognise that everyone has different strengths and talents.  At St Mary's we teach the children to develop confidence and decision making skills rooted in Gospel values, as well as making positive choices in their own learning.

Mutual respect

Jesus taught us that all people are equal in God's eyes and should be treated with kindess and respect.  At St Mary’s we encourage our children to treat each other the way they would like to be treated and do this through our mentoring sessions, RE lessons, anti-bullying activities, PHSE lessons and sharing work. The children are taught to treat everyone with respect, kindness and compassion and be positive role models.  We enjoy learning about different religions, cultures and beliefs.  Our Growth Mindset assemblies allow the whole school to share this respect alongside our mission statement.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Religion

As Catholics we promote an understanding and respect for everyone, regardless of their faith or background.  Pope Francis empthasied dialogue and friendships among different religions.  We celebrate that everyone is a child of God and is unique and special. Our children learn about different religions and beliefs through assemblies, visits to places of worship e.g. Temples, guest speakers e.g. Rabbi, dedicated assemblies and lessons which challenge prejudice.