British Values

Queensway Academy is committed to actively promoting British Values. At Queensway, we challenge opinions and behaviours that are contrary to fundamental British Values. We aim to prepare children for the multicultural, multi-faith society in which we live. We are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity in line with the Equality Act 2010. Our goal is to reduce disadvantages, discrimination, and inequalities of opportunity, while promoting diversity in terms of our students, workforce, and the wider community in which we work.

At our school, we aim to:

• Enable students to develop self-knowledge, self-esteem, and self-confidence.
• Enable students to distinguish right from wrong and 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 of the school and to society more widely.
• Enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of, and respect for, public services in England.
• Develop 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, as well as respect for democracy, and support for participation in the democratic process, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England.

We expect our children to demonstrate:

• An understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process.
• An appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety.
• An understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law.
• An acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs (or none at all) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour.
• An understanding of the importance of identifying and reducing discrimination.

At Queensway, British Values are enforced by:

Democracy:

Children are given active roles in democratic processes, including the election of school councillors. Pupils at Queensway are listened to through various pupil voice questionnaires, and senior leaders actively participate in pupil-led discussions.

The Rule of Law:

The importance of laws—whether they are in the classroom, the school, or the country—is consistently reinforced throughout the school day, as well as when addressing behaviour and through school assemblies. Children are taught right from wrong through our PSHE curriculum. We maintain strong connections with the local police force and public services, who visit the school regularly.

Individual Liberty:

Children are consistently supported and encouraged to make their own choices in a safe and nurturing environment. We celebrate success regularly through whole-school celebration assemblies.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance:

Our school focuses on respecting others, regardless of their beliefs, which is fundamental at Queensway. Children are taught to show tolerance through RE and PSHE. We promote and celebrate our individual differences, as well as various festivals and occasions.

Read our Equality Information and Objectives Statement for more information