British Values

Our Vision is for all children to acquire knowledge, skills and understanding that will contribute to them becoming aspirational, motivated young people.

Ormiston Herman Academy curriculum actively promotes fundamental British values in the following ways:

Democracy is evident throughout our Academy. Each year we hold democratic elections for pupils to be Student Councillors. Votes are cast in a secret ballot and the winning councillors sit on a weekly Student Council. They are the representatives of their class and it is their responsibility to make sure that pupil voices are heard, represented and acted on.

The Academy seeks to gain the views of all pupils in the form of a pupil questionnaire.

The importance of laws is reinforced throughout the school day through our clear and fair Academy behaviour expectations. Individual classes are encouraged to generate ‘Class rules’ at the beginning of the school year and sign a ‘behaviour contract’ acknowledging that they understand and pledge to follow school rules. School ‘laws’ are explained and reinforced through school assemblies and during responses to behaviour misdemeanours. Our Academy encourages pupils to think about why school rules are in place and to distinguish right from wrong. For example, if a child is seen running in school staff ask the child ‘why is our school rule to always walk in school?’ In addition, the Academy has introduced and uses Restorative Practice to resolve conflicts and which encourages the perpetrator of a ‘misdemeanour’ to take responsibility for breaking a ‘rule’ and to apologise to the ‘victim’ of the ‘crime’. By encouraging the perpetrator to think about the wider consequences of their actions, we have seen a reduction in poor behaviour in school.

Pupils are also taught about the place of rules and laws in wider society, that they govern and protect us but that this brings with it responsibilities and consequences when rules are broken. This is reinforced through visits and talks from agencies with a law enforcement element (police, fire service, customs and excise, etc).

We actively support all pupils to develop their self knowledge, self esteem and self confidence and to take responsibility for their own behaviour. Within school pupils are actively encouraged to make choices in a supportive and safe environment. In class, pupils can make choices about the level of challenge they feel comfortable with, they can choose to participate in a wide range of extra curricular activities and encouraged to understand that they have control over the direction of their own lives through the Academy’s PSHE and Enrichment programme.

Our Academy vision is to Educate to achieve personal success. Nurture everyone’s uniqueness and special gifts. Value everyone’s diversity. Develop everyone to their full potential and create well-rounded responsible individuals. At the heart of this vision are the 5Rs for learning and life: Ready to learn. Responsible. Resilient. Reflective. Resourceful.

Our Academy is based on the five R’s and underpinning all of these is the need to respect one another which is a key value endorsed and promoted by all staff in the Academy. Pupils have regular assemblies and class circle times which explore the concept of respect and what it means in practice. We have clear behaviour expectations as outlined in the school’s behaviour policy and this is reinforced throughout the school with posters and displays. Pupils are regularly rewarded in our weekly Celebration assembly for showing ‘respect’ to others.

We promote respect for individual differences through our PSHE and Enrichment programme. Our Academy helps pupils to acquire an understanding of and respect for their own cultures and ways of life through visits to places of worship, visits from representatives of different cultures and faiths and an exploration of religions and cultural practices through our RE and PSHE curriculum.

  • Democracy
  • School Council
  • Pupil voice
  • Classroom/school roles of responsibility
  • Pupil questionnaires
  • Teaching of debate/balanced argument writing
  • Rule of Law
  • Behaviour and Anti-Bullying Policies
  • Classroom rules
  • Rewards and sanctions
  • Road safety
  • E Safety
  • Sports tournaments
  • Assemblies
  • Citizenship lessons
  • Individual Liberty
  • Opportunities for child-led learning
  • Choices offered across the curriculum – e.g. reading books
  • Individual research projects
  • Variety of school clubs offered
  • Individual targets set for learning
  • Choosing own dinner
  • Tolerance and Respect
  • Good manners expected from all members of the school community
  • High expectations of behaviour
  • Celebrating different religious festivals
  • Assemblies and Collective Worship
  • Lunch-catering for different needs
  • Teaching about different religions throughout the school
  • Visits from Faith leaders in assembly
  • Selling poppies in school