Our House Captains had a workshop on Protected Characteristics.  They were taught that the Equality Act became law in 2010 and covers everyone in Britain and protects people from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Everyone in Britain is protected. This is because the Equality Act protects people against discrimination because of the protected characteristics that we all have. Under the Equality Act, there are nine Protected Characteristics:

1. Age
2. Disability
3. Gender reassignment
4. Race
5. Religion or belief
6. Marriage or civil partnership
7. Sex
8. Sexual orientation
9. Pregnancy and maternity

As part of the workshop, the House Captains looked at different periods in time and decided if they would like to live in them based on the way they would have been treated. 

They also created a rap to help others learn about protected characteristics - look out for this and their assembly to the school coming soon. 

Promoting British Values

For many years, there has been a duty for schools to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of their pupils. More recently, the Department for Education has reinforced the requirement for schools to promote ‘fundamental British values’ through SMSC development:

‘It is expected that pupils should 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. The school’s ethos and teaching, which schools should make parents aware of, should support the rule of English civil and criminal law and schools should not teach anything that undermines it. If schools teach about religious law, particular care should be taken to explore the relationship between state and religious law. Pupils should be made aware of the difference between the law of the land and religious law.’

Fundamental British values are defined as follows:

• Democracy
• Rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect 
• Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

Democracy

Each year the children decide upon their class rules and charters and the rights associated with these. All the children contribute to the drawing up of these charters .

We have a school council which meets every month to discuss issues raised in class. Every child on the school council is voted in by their class, following the presentation of their manifesto.

Children have an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at Fleetville through assemblies and through the curriculum.

Pupils are taught the rules of the school, particularly the value and reasons behind rules and laws - that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities, such as the Police, help reinforce this message.

Individual Liberty

Pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, within the security of a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for pupils to make informed choices. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and through our e-Safety and PSHE lessons, advised how to exercise these safely.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are taught and encouraged to treat each other with respect. 

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

The Fleetville community is culturally very diverse. There are 24 different languages spoken in our school and we actively promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures.

Religious Education lessons, PSHE lessons and Philosophy for Children discussions, reinforce messages of tolerance and respect for others.

Members of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school and the children visit places of worship, both within our community and further afield, that are important to different faiths.

During a House Assembly a key figure was chosen for each house. These figures were not only chosen because they represent of our key values, but also because they promote the British Values. They represent a cross section of people from different backgrounds, who have different faiths and people who have contrasting beliefs; showing our pupils that we celebrate and promote Individual Liberty.

As part of our work on British Values we talk to the children about celebrating differences and showing respect to each other. 

During the Year 4 Carol Concert the children sung Deck the halls and accompanied this with sign language.