Our Gilnow Values are deeply embedded in our school ethos and the way that we promote and embrace our Gilnow Vision:
Gilnow Primary School Vision :
At Gilnow, we endeavour to create a caring, inclusive and safe learning environment, where all children are supported in fulfilling their potential, regardless of their background, needs or starting points.
Our shared vision as a school is built on our positive working relationships. We take the time to know and understand our children and families, so that we can provide the highest quality education and wrap-around support.
We are proud to be a community school, serving a diverse local area – we respect and celebrate our differences, whilst recognising our similarities that unite us.
Believe, Achieve, Grow
Alongside these Gilnow Values, British Values are promoted throughout everything we do at school, including during lessons, playtimes, assemblies and our structure of Pupil Leadership. As a school, our understanding of ‘British Values’ recognises the diversity represented in our modern, British society and we strive for our children to become independent and respectful members of this society. Through our work, we understand that the current definition of ‘British Values’ has evolved over time and we teach our children about the parts of the history of Great Britain that may not always have been fair to all groups of people and how we, as a country, a school and as individuals, can learn from this. We recognise that many of these ‘British Values’ differ in no way from the values of the many countries and the cultural backgrounds represented by families at Gilnow.
As well as actively promoting such values, the opposite also applies: we would actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to our own fundamental school values, including ‘extremist’ views. The ‘Prevent duty’ and fundamental British values work synonymously together, as they both send the same messages that are intended to deter young people from becoming victims of radicalisation and extremism in Britain. The aim of British values is to encourage children to have tolerance for different belief systems and lifestyles.
Below are just a few examples of how we promote British Values at Gilnow:
Democracy
At Gilnow, we want our children to understand that they have a right for their voice to be heard and give them a safe place to be able to do this as they develop the skills to be able to do it in an increasingly mature and respectful way. One example is our School Council, which reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action as children vote for their class representatives.
We also value the views of our parents and community and regularly ask for views through surveys, at parents’ meetings and through our parent’s coffee mornings before we bring in new initiatives to school. To complement this learning, we invite elected representatives of the local community into school to share their experiences with the children.
Rules and Laws
At Gilnow, we use rules to help to teach our children about right and wrong and how to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. Children discuss class and school rules at the start of every school year and reflect upon the importance of these in ensuring that we have a safe and productive learning environment.
Again, we use visits and visitors, including the Police and charities and groups, such as ‘Fortalice’ and ‘Prevent to Protect’, to help children to understand the purpose of rules in society and to understand that there can be serious consequences when rules are not followed.
Individual Liberty
Alongside rules and laws, at Gilnow, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment, we provide boundaries for our pupils to express their views respectfully and make personal choices safely.
Through PSHE lessons and our weekly ‘Values’ assemblies, we help our children to understand about some of the choices that they have in their lives, now and in the future, and develop the independence to be able to make these, sometimes difficult, decisions in a safe and considered way, without being constrained by the expectations that could be posed by society.
Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely and respectfully. Gilnow Primary School serves an area which is culturally diverse and we are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds, so mutual respect and acceptance of those with different beliefs is an important teaching point for our children.
Mutual Respect and Tolerance of Others
At Gilnow, we believe that this mutual respect and acceptance of the views and lifestyles of others is central to life in Britain today. We use stories, visitors and the experiences of others, to share with our children a wide range of people with differing views and backgrounds, so that children not only tolerate but embrace this diversity.
