British Values and Lead, Learn, Excel

Ravens Wood school has an obligation under section 78 of the Education Act (2002) which requires all schools, as part of a broad and balanced curriculum, to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of students at the school. This includes actively promoting British values.

We are very proud at Ravens Wood School as we feel our school values are a true reflection of fundamental British values.

We aim to ensure that our students become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

The Equality Act 2010

The school has a public sector equality duty (s.149 of the Equality Act 2010) which requires us to have due regard of the need to:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under that Act;
• advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
• foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The Department for Education (June 2015) state that there is a 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 and mutual respect for and tolerance of those different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.’

The government has set out its definition of British values initially in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated by the Government since. 

At Ravens Wood School

Supporting British values is central to the expectations we have of all our students. These expectations link directly to the ethos at the heart of Ravens Wood School.

Delivering a well-structured Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship education programme which addresses all of the requirements of the programmes of study (looking at Democracy, Freedom, the rule of law, Human Rights and responsibilities). Through our SMSC programme we ensure that principles are actively promoted which will:

• enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
• enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England
• encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely
• enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England
• encourage further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
• encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010; and
• encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England
• provide a varied Religious Studies and Ethics programme at every Key Stage. Of particular note is the Year 8 unit on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism which promotes the respect and tolerance of religion. There is also a unit in Year 10 on Religion, State and Authority where the issue of human rights and their formation is studied
• provide an effective and well-managed School Council enabling students to actively participate in the democratic process
• offer a broad and balanced curriculum which addresses many of these core values across a range of subject areas
• provide a clearly communicated and consistently applied Behaviour Policy so that students understand what is expected of them and the consequences of both meeting and failing to meet these expectations
• encourage charity work organised by the School Council, Sixth Form Leadership Group and within year groups
• offer a wide range of national and international educational visits.
• Adhere to our Behaviour for Learning Policy which is regularly referred to and communicated with students, reiterating that we are a school community built on mutual respect and understanding
• Deliver an e-safety programme to all students, staff and parents at Ravens Wood School.

Political Views

We preclude the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school and take such steps as are reasonably practicable to ensure that where political issues are brought to the attention of students:

1. while they are in attendance at the school;
2. while they are taking part in extra-curricular activities which are provided or organised by or on behalf of the school; or
3. in the promotion at the school, including through the distribution of promotional material, of extra-curricular activities taking place at the school or elsewhere they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views

These values have been endorsed by:

The Ravens Wood School Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.