Good Citizenship

Citizenship is about enabling people to make their own decisions and to take responsibility for their community. School prepare children for living in a society and at St Mary’s they are actively encouraged to be responsible not only for their own learning but also for their environment. Citizenship education is also important because it builds character and develops skills such as communication, initiative, social interaction and teamwork.

As directed by the Department for Education, schools 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 of different faiths and beliefs.

At St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, we hold and teach pupils about British Values which are fined as;

  • Rule of Law
  • Individual liberty mutual respect
  • Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

We see it as our duty to prepare our children for Modern Britain.

British Values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health and Emotional (PSHCE) and Religious Education (RE). We also teach British Values through planning and delivering a broad, balanced and creative curriculum.

The school takes opportunities to actively promote British Values through daily collective worship and whole school systems and structures such as electing and running a successful School Council. We also actively promote British Values through ensuring that our curriculum planning and delivery includes real opportunities for exploring these values.

Democracy is an important value in our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council, Pupil Conferences and Pupil Voice. The elections of members of the School Council are based on pupil votes. This promotes understanding how citizens can influence decision making through the democratic process and our School Council is genuinely able to implement changes within the school.

At St Mary’s we also have a Debate Club which encompasses the four key British values and provides the children with the opportunity to speak confidently in public.

In addition, the children plan their own collective act of worship twice per week in their individual classes.

The school makes considerable efforts to ensure children have exposure to a wide range of experience beyond their immediate local community such as a wide range of visits, sporting events and use of outdoor education centres. Their strong rooted values (understanding) gives them the platform to embrace difference and diversity.