At Ormiston NEW Academy we take very seriously our responsibility to prepare our students for life in modern Britain. We ensure that the fundamental British Values are introduced, discussed, taught and lived out through our Academy. All curriculum areas provide a vehicle for furthering student’s understanding of these concepts and, in particular, our PSHE and Tutor curriculum provides excellent opportunities to deepen and develop understanding of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs and mutual respect.
Students embrace these concepts with enthusiasm and demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives. The Academy makes considerable efforts to ensure students have exposure to a wide range of experiences beyond the school environment during which these concepts are reinforced.
The Government set out its definition of British values in the Prevent Strategy (Home Office, 2011) and subsequently The Prevent Duty: Departmental Advice for Schools and Childcare Providers (DfE 2015). It stated that:
“Schools and childcare providers can … build pupils’ resilience to radicalisation by promoting fundamental British values and enabling them to challenge extremist views. It is important to emphasise that the Prevent duty is not intended to stop pupils debating controversial issues. On the contrary, schools should provide a safe space in which children, young people and staff can understand the risks associated with terrorism and develop the knowledge and skills to be able to challenge extremist arguments” (DfE, 2015 p5.)