The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014.
At Lochinver House Preparatory School these values are taught explicitly through Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHEE) and Citizenship, and Religious Studies (RS). We also teach British Values through planning and delivering a broad and balanced curriculum.
The school takes opportunities to actively promote British Values through its aims and core values, our assemblies and whole school systems and structures such as electing and running a successful School Council and selecting House Captains and Vice House Captains who support the Head Boys in raising money for charities.
We also actively promote the British Values through ensuring our curriculum planning and delivery includes opportunities for exploring these values. The school makes considerable efforts to ensure pupils have experience beyond their local community through, for example, sporting events, a range of visits, trips and residential stays, which provide excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding and to embrace difference.
At Lochinver House we value the diversity of backgrounds of all pupils, families and the wider school community. Actively promoting British Values also means challenging pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views.
The Department for Education defines British Values as follows:
- ★ Respect for democracy and support or participation in the democratic process
- ★ Respect for the basis on which the law is made and applies in England
- ★ Support for equality of opportunity for all
- ★ Support and respect for the liberties of all within the law
- ★ Respect for and tolerance of different faiths and religions and other beliefs
Our school reflects British Values in all that we do. We aim to nurture our boys on their journey through life so they can grow into safe, caring, democratic, responsible and tolerant adults who make a positive difference to British society and to the world. We encourage our pupils to be creative, unique, open-minded and independent individuals, respectful of themselves and of others in our school, our local community and the wider world.