In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British Values in school to ensure our young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. We promote Democracy, the Rule of Law, Individual Liberty, Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.

Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.

Democracy is common within the school and can be seen, for example, through our work with our pupil leaders, pupil conferencing and in assemblies. Also key to this is the concept of holding others to account, including those in positions of authority or influence.

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken, and given opportunities to experience these in ‘real life’ school situations. We adopt a positive approach to managing behaviour, using a system based on the principles of restorative justice.

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely; for example through E-Safety, PSHE and SRE lessons.

Respect underpins all that we do at Westover and is seen between children, staff, parents, visitors and governors. Additional support is provided for individual pupils, through pastoral care work.

This support helps to develop self-esteem and to practise strategies pupils can employ to help improve their respect of others.

This is achieved through enhancing pupils’ understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by providing opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based are supported by learning in RE and PSHE.

Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Through a wide range of activities, the school secures such standards and uses strategies within the National Curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for children.