Values
'Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Your Best'
At Sythwood Primary and Nursery School we are dedicated to our school motto of 'Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Your Best' so that every child and adult in our school can aspire and thrive to become their personal best in a safe, supportive and caring environment. We feel that the 4B's encompass all the values and personal attributes that we aspire for our children to have when they transition to year 7. We aim for each child to achieve more than they ever thought was possible. We strive to provide children with relevant, purposeful learning opportunities and provide them with new, exciting experiences.
At Sythwood Primary and Nursery School, we believe that the values we support are not just unique to Britain but are shared by many people in the world represented by the diverse families in our community.
The British Values as defined by the DfE are: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith. These are embedded in our curriculum and are taught throughout the year through assemblies and lived out through various events in the school year. For example, the whole school practices the value of democracy through our Pupil Parliament elections where the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are elected through a whole school voting process following child-led election campaigns.
We plan assemblies and lessons, particularly in PSHE and RE, to teach the children about our values, respecting similarities and differences, tackling stereotypes, understanding structural racism and white privilege and understanding why some people discriminate. Our teaching includes recent and national global events which aim to empower children to have a voice and to stand up against discrimination, valuing equality, tolerance and mutual respect.
The topics and lessons in the school’s curriculum are designed carefully and planned by teachers to provide a rich learning experience that will have a positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school creates a safe space where pupils can discuss issues involving racism, stereotypes, systematic oppression and prejudice.
To enhance children's ability to retain curriculum knowledge, we ensure they experience extra-curricular activities such as music, a variety of sports, the arts and outdoor learning. Visits are planned linking with the class topic to provide children with further understanding of the world they live in. We also link with other schools to take part in singing and sporting events. Competitions provide the opportunity for children to meet other children from different schools whilst experiencing the process of decision making and understanding rules and fairness.
As well as promoting British values we would actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views and principles, challenging racial stereotypes and prejudices.
This teaching, ethos and values combine to make Sythwood an inclusive and safe place to learn where bullying is not tolerated.
