The Teaching of British Values at Quilters Junior School

British Values at Quilters Federation

At Quilters Federation, we are committed to promoting British Values throughout our ethos, curriculum and wider school life. We believe that a clear understanding of values helps children grow into rounded, responsible Quilteenees and Quiltonians, ready to make a positive contribution to society both now and in the future.

The Department for Education outlines the fundamental British Values as:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs, and for those without faith

These values are embedded across our curriculum, daily routines, and whole-school events. Children are given meaningful opportunities to:

1. Take part in democracy – through School Council elections, pupil voice groups, and leadership roles where their opinions help shape school life.
2. Understand the rule of law – by learning the importance of rules, fairness and justice, and through our behaviour policy and restorative approaches, which encourage pupils to reflect on their choices.
3. Be community-minded – with every pupil from Years 2 to 6 trained as a Dementia Friend. Pupils work closely with elderly people and dementia sufferers in partnership with the Dementia Action Alliance, Parkinson’s UK, Human Kind Café, Men’s Shed, Albion Court, Abbeyfield Retirement Home, Caremark, Memory Café and Billericay Library Drop-In. All 269 junior pupils also have an elderly penpal, writing five times a year to create genuine intergenerational connections that build empathy, compassion and understanding.
4. Exercise individual liberty – by developing independence, resilience and confidence to make choices in a safe and supportive environment.
5. Show mutual respect and tolerance – through celebrating diversity, working with different faith groups, and learning about all nine protected characteristics in PSHE, reinforced by our Protected Characteristics Reading Spine.

We are proud of our close links with the Mosque in Brentwood, the Synagogue in Southend, and Emmanuel Church in Billericay, which enrich children’s understanding of different faiths and beliefs. Events such as Paralympic Week, Dementia Action Week, and Mental Wellbeing Days (led by our Wellbeing Council) further strengthen children’s sense of empathy, fairness and respect for others.

We also prepare pupils for life in modern Britain by helping them to recognise and challenge discrimination, prejudice or extremist views in a safe and age-appropriate way.

As a school, we are always looking to deepen our connections with local services, faith groups, and organisations. If you would like to share experiences with our pupils linked to British Values, please contact our SMSC Lead, Miss Dike, based in the Infant School.

The effectiveness of our British Values work is monitored through pupil voice, staff feedback, and curriculum reviews, with findings shared with governors. Staff training ensures that British Values are consistently promoted, and we support children and families in addressing any misunderstandings in a respectful, age-appropriate way.

Where misconceptions or prejudicial behaviour arise, the school speaks directly with both the victim and the perpetrator, with parents of both parties fully involved. If the incident is racist in nature, it is reported to Essex County Council as a ‘hate crime’ using their proforma. While sanctions are sometimes appropriate, our first priority is always education — helping children to understand, reflect, and change future behaviour.

Should an incident be more serious, the school will contact the police and social care regarding a potential referral to the Channel programme. All staff are trained to recognise concerns and understand this referral pathway as part of their statutory safeguarding training.

Last Oct25