Preparing our pupils for life in modern Britain

At Athena School we value the diversity of the backgrounds of all of our pupils and their families. Through our ethos and curriculum, we promote British Values, encouraging our pupils to recognise that people of all faiths, races and cultures should be treated with respect, tolerance and understanding. Pupils are also taught that different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, but that all people living in British society need to follow the same rules. We recognise that our pupils come from varied backgrounds and home environments which greatly influence their actions and their thinking, but we hope that we can guide them and give them the information to make informed decisions and prepare them for life in modern Britain. 

The Department for Education states that there is a need:

“To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”.

The Department for Education defines British Values as follows:

Respect for democracy and support or participation in the democratic process
Respect for the basis on which the law is made and applies in England
Support for equality of opportunity for all
Support and respect for the liberties of all within the law
Respect for and tolerance of different faiths and religious and other beliefs

At Athena British Values is taught through specific lessons within the PHSE curriculum and assemblies, but it is also part of the nurture curriculum and taught discretely through the Personal and Social Development activities and lessons. 

Our PHSE Curriculum is taught through 6 key values:

Self-belief
Kindness
Cooperation
Responsibility
Love/Happiness
Perseverance

Through these values we explore with the children topics such as Citizenship and the wider community, anti-bullying and families and relationships. The full curriculum is on the school website.