A fun and enriching day was had by all last Friday, as the whole school paused to celebrate and learn about the British Values. It was wonderful to see the children arriving for school in their red, white and blue coloured clothes to represent the Union Jack flag, so thank you for all making such an effort! The children were organised into groups so that Beech and Oak classes worked together and Willow and Sycamore joined up. This meant that our groups could experience all of the workshops that the teachers had planned for the key stages.
Democracy
We were given four possible topics to debate and each group democratically decided which area to choose. The children were then given the role of putting together all of the arguments for and against the debate so that a real discussion could take place. This then concluded with a free vote to see what the overall decision of the team was. In the assembly, children explained that the topic they chose was to debate whether animals should be kept in zoos and they presented their arguments.
Mutual Respect, Tolerance and Individual Liberty
We looked at what creates our own personal identities, whether this be our eye colour, a favourite hobby or a belief. The story of ‘It’s OK to be different’ by Todd Parr was used to begin these discussions. We compared them with our friends and spoke about how these differences don’t stop us from being friends or helping and caring for one another. We have to respect the choices of others and that it’s ok to have different opinions!
Rule of Law
With the help of the story ‘Goldilocks, we explored how we need to follow rules to ensure everybody is treated fairly. We looked at what could happen if we break rules and the difference in outcomes when we follow them. During the day, games were played where the rules were forgotten and of course, they ended in chaos! Very quickly, rules were discussed and put into place, making the point that when games are fair and rules are followed, everything is much more enjoyable!
Great Britain
Using Google Earth, we looked at the location of Great Britain and how it is a collection of islands. It was also interesting to see that the Union Jack is made up of all of the flags of the British Isles. Some of the children created their own maps, locating England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. We then found where Chiddingly was within the British Isles and zoomed in on the school from above and could spot the playground and trim trail.
IMPACT & KNOWLEDGE GAINED
As a result of learning about the British Values, we have already seen the children demonstrating and applying their new knowledge in their classrooms and on the playground. The children really enjoyed learning about what helps create their identity and they now have a renewed respect for themselves as individuals, as well as for their peers and adults both in and out of school.
