Fundamental British Values

All schools have a duty to ‘actively promote’ the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. These values were first set out by the government in the ‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011.’

At The Bolsover School we have added in the idea of the need to be an active part of the community and therefore our British Values have six parts rather than five as detailed in the poster below.

What does this mean for my child?

Frequently Asked Questions:

Will my child still be able to express his/her faith at school? Absolutely. One of the fundamental values is respect and tolerance of people with different faiths, and we teach our children that British law protects their freedom to hold their own beliefs. Any prejudice or discrimination towards pupils on the basis of their faith goes against the fundamental British values and will not be tolerated by the school.

How will this affect my child’s lessons? The curriculum provides lots of opportunities to look at fundamental British values. Your child will already have some experience of this in lessons such as religious education (RE) and personal, social and health education (PSHE). In each subject, our teachers will look out for these opportunities and encourage children to think about how the values link into the topics they are studying.

Will there be major changes to the school’s ethos? Our school’s ethos already includes many aspects of the government’s fundamental British values. For example, we expect our children to follow the school rules and show kindness to one another. Promoting fundamental British values will reinforce, not change, our current ethos.

External sources

The following guidance and news article from the Department for Education (DfE) may be useful for further information:

Guidance on promoting British values in schools published 

If you have any questions or concerns about the Prevent strategy and what it means for your child, please do not hesitate to contact the school.