British Values at Excelsior Academy

At Excelsior Academy, our approach to British Values is rooted in our vision of Everybody All Together.

We are proud to serve an exceptionally diverse community in the west of Newcastle. More than 60 languages are spoken across the academy and our pupils bring with them a wide range of cultures, faiths, traditions, experiences and perspectives. We see this diversity as one of the great strengths of Excelsior.

Our ambition is that every pupil develops the knowledge, character and confidence they need to participate fully in life in modern Britain. This sits alongside our commitment to High Expectations, Transformational Teaching and Limitless Life Chances.

British Values are therefore not taught as a separate or occasional activity. They are developed through our curriculum, Personal Development programme, assemblies, Be Ready, pupil leadership, wider opportunities and the everyday culture of the academy.

We want pupils to understand their own rights and responsibilities, respect the rights of others, challenge discrimination and prejudice, contribute positively to their communities and develop the confidence to express their views respectfully.

The five fundamental British Values are:

• Democracy
• The Rule of Law
• Individual Liberty
• Mutual Respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

These values connect closely to the culture we are building at Excelsior: a community where everybody belongs, everybody is heard and everybody has a responsibility for making our academy stronger.

Democracy

Democracy is experienced as well as taught at Excelsior.

Pupils are encouraged to express their views, listen to others and understand how decisions can be influenced through respectful participation. Student Council representatives are selected to represent the views of their peers and pupil voice is regularly used to help leaders understand pupils' experiences and shape future developments.

Recent Student Council work has directly influenced our Everybody All Together – Culture, Diversity and Belonging programme, ensuring that the cultures, faiths, identities and experiences pupils told us were important to them are reflected more visibly across academy life.

Within lessons, pupils are encouraged to question, debate, explain and justify their thinking. Oracy is an important part of teaching and learning, with pupils learning that their own voice matters while also developing the ability to listen carefully and respectfully to the views of others.

Democracy is explored explicitly through subjects including History, Religious Education, English and PSHE, as well as through Personal Development, Be Ready, assemblies and engagement with external organisations.

The Rule of Law

Pupils are taught why rules and laws exist, how they protect individuals and communities and the responsibilities that come with living within a democratic society.

At Excelsior, our expectations are deliberately clear and consistent. Our values of being Ready, Respectful and Safe help pupils understand that our actions affect both ourselves and the people around us.

Pupils learn about the purpose and development of law through the curriculum, particularly within History and PSHE, alongside wider Personal Development opportunities. Work with organisations including the Police, Fire Service and other community partners helps pupils understand how laws operate beyond school.

We want pupils not simply to follow rules, but increasingly to understand why rules, boundaries and laws matter and the role they play in creating safe, fair and successful communities.

Individual Liberty

At Excelsior, we want pupils to become confident young people who can make informed choices about their lives and futures.

Within a safe and supportive environment, pupils are encouraged to develop independence, express themselves appropriately and understand their individual rights and freedoms.

Through PSHE, Personal Development, Be Ready, safeguarding education and the wider curriculum, pupils learn how to exercise these freedoms safely and responsibly. This includes learning about healthy relationships, online safety, consent, personal identity, careers, wellbeing and the consequences of the choices we make.

Individual liberty also means ensuring pupils can pursue their own interests and ambitions. Through enrichment, careers education, pupil leadership and wider opportunities, we want pupils to discover what they enjoy, understand what they are capable of and develop ambitious plans for their future.

Mutual Respect

Respect sits at the heart of Everybody All Together.

We expect every member of our community to recognise the dignity and value of others. Pupils learn that people may have different backgrounds, beliefs, identities and opinions while still deserving to be treated with kindness, dignity and respect.

This is reinforced through everyday relationships, classroom expectations, PSHE, Religious Education, assemblies, Personal Development and the wider curriculum.

Our pupils also take part in charitable work, remembrance, community activities and projects that encourage them to think beyond themselves and understand their responsibility towards others.

Mutual respect also means creating an environment in which pupils can disagree appropriately. We want pupils to feel confident expressing their views while learning how to listen, question and respond respectfully to perspectives that may differ from their own.

Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Excelsior is an exceptionally diverse academy and pupils have daily opportunities to learn with and from people whose backgrounds and experiences may be different from their own.

We are proud of our School of Sanctuary status and of initiatives such as our Young Interpreters programme, which celebrate language, culture and belonging and help newly arrived pupils become part of our community.

Religious Education, PSHE, History, Personal Development and the wider curriculum enable pupils to develop knowledge and understanding of different religions, beliefs, cultures and traditions. Religious Education also provides opportunities for pupils to understand their own beliefs while learning about the beliefs and traditions of others.

Our Everybody All Together – Culture, Diversity and Belonging programme builds on pupil voice and creates opportunities throughout the year to learn about and celebrate the diversity within our academy and wider society. This includes learning connected to faith, heritage, equality, disability, neurodiversity, culture and identity.

These activities are intended to be educational rather than tokenistic: helping pupils develop genuine knowledge, curiosity and understanding of the people and communities around them.

We are equally clear that discrimination, prejudice, harassment and extremist views have no place within our academy. Pupils are taught how to recognise and challenge discriminatory behaviour and how to seek support when they have concerns.

British Values Through the Curriculum

British Values are woven throughout curriculum and academy life rather than being limited to individual events.

Pupils encounter them through:

• PSHE and Personal Development, including relationships, equality, rights, responsibilities, safety and citizenship;
• Religious Education, developing understanding of different faiths, beliefs and worldviews;
• History, including democracy, political systems, conflict, rights and the development of law;
• English and Oracy, through debate, discussion, argument and engagement with different perspectives;
• assemblies and Be Ready, responding to local, national and global issues;
• Student Council and pupil leadership, enabling pupils to influence academy life;
• careers and enrichment, developing aspiration, independence and participation in wider society;
• Culture, Diversity and Belonging activities, celebrating and understanding the identities and experiences represented within Excelsior.

Everybody All Together

Ultimately, British Values at Excelsior are about preparing young people to live successfully alongside others.

We want pupils to leave Excelsior able to make informed choices, participate confidently in society, respect difference, challenge prejudice and contribute positively to their communities.

Our vision of Everybody All Together captures this commitment.

We are different people, with different experiences, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs and ambitions, but we belong to one community. We believe that understanding and respecting those differences makes our academy – and wider society – stronger.

Everybody All Together.
Respect. Celebrate. Belong.

 

 

Useful Links

Educate Against Hate
Advice and resources for parents, pupils and education professionals.

UK Parliament – Education
Resources to help young people understand democracy, Parliament and how decisions are made.

City of Sanctuary – Schools of Sanctuary
Information about creating welcoming and inclusive school communities.

Equality and Human Rights Commission
Information and guidance on equality, human rights and discrimination.

Department for Education – Prevent Duty Guidance
Statutory guidance outlining the responsibilities of education providers in relation to the Prevent duty.