Across The Curriculum
Reception:
Democracy: making decisions together
As part of the focus on self-confidence and self-awareness as cited in Personal, Social and Emotional Development .
Staff encourage children to see their role in the ‘bigger picture’, encouraging children to know their views count, value each other’s views and values and talk about their feelings, for example when they do or do not need help.
When appropriate demonstrate democracy in action, for example:
- Children sharing views on what the theme of their role play area could be with a show of hands.
- Children vote for some of the awards that the children receive at the end of each week.
- Staff can support the decisions that children make and provide provision that involves turn-taking, sharing and collaboration.
- Children are provided with opportunities to develop enquiring minds in an atmosphere where questions are valued and answers are sought.
Rule of law: understanding rules matter as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development
As part of the focus on managing feelings and behaviour:
Staff ensure that children understand their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences, and learn to distinguish right from wrong. This is positively reinforced through the school’s ‘High Five’ behavioural policy and the Rights and Respecting Agenda.
Staff collaborate and discuss with children certain rules and codes of behaviour. For example, the children agree on areas to tidy up and they understand that the rules apply to everyone.
Individual liberty: freedom for all
As part of the focus on self-confidence & self-awareness and people & communities as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development and Understanding the World:
Children are supported to develop a positive sense of themselves. Staff provide opportunities for children to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and increase their confidence in their own abilities, for example through allowing children to take risks and challenge themselves through open ended resource
Staff encourage a range of experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings and responsibility, reflect on their differences and understand we are free to have different opinions. Each day the children have ‘Talk Time’ which provides opportunities for discussion around issues of feelings, action and consequence, difference and tolerance.
Mutual respect and tolerance: treat others as you want to be treated
As part of the focus on people & communities, managing feelings & behaviour and making relationships as cited in Personal Social and Emotional development and Understanding the World:
Managers and leaders have created an ethos of inclusivity and tolerance where views, faiths, cultures and races are valued and children are engaged with the wider community.
Children acquire a tolerance and appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures; know about similarities and differences between themselves and others and among families, faiths, communities, cultures and traditions and share and discuss practices, celebrations and experiences
Staff encourage and explain the importance of tolerant behaviours such as sharing and respecting other’s opinions.
Staff promote diverse attitudes and challenge stereotypes, for example, sharing stories that reflect and value the diversity of children’s experiences and providing resources and activities that challenge gender, cultural and racial stereotyping.
Year 1:
Fairness – High 5
Turn Taking
Tolerance
Democracy – votes for the school council
Half termly pupil of the week – pupil’s choice
Non-gender bias
Tolerance – other views
Accepting differences eg. other religions
Perseverance
Year 2:
In Year 2 we encourage to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance through RE lessons whilst teaching about Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
We support the English civil and criminal law by promoting the High 5 Policy throughout the whole school. We also positively contribute to the lives of those around us by teaching all about St. Cuthbert. We respect each other every day through, again discussion and agreed goals as a class every half term.
The children also vote for each other to win the Pupil of the Week every half term which promotes the ‘children’s choice’.
Year 3:
Respect/Tolerance – High 5
PHSCE
All pupils treated fairly
Gender equality
Understanding of other faiths and beliefs – RE – Christianity/Hinduism
Democracy and rule of law – High 5
Pupil choice awards
School council members chosen by vote
Decision making – Class choices – High 5 treat
Financial planning – PHSCE unit to teach money sense
Year 4:
Tolerance for other people and their religions – RE – mentioned in work on Sikhs and Christianity. Everyone has the right to their own beliefs.
Democracy: Talking tins to give everyone a say; One vote each for electing class Counsellor; class vote each half term for Pupil Choice certificate (with reasons); class charter for behaviour; safety measures
Rule of Law: class charter, class/school rules High 5 – have to follow them. Reminder of consequences of breaking law in world outside of school;
Mutual respect: High 5 charter; golden Rule – Do to others as you’d have them do to you.
Year 5:
Through our Ancient Greece topic, we study the beginnings of the democratic process and explore the benefits of living in a democratic society. Also the election of School Council
School Council, Class Council and rights respecting ensure that the pupils have a voice, freedom of speech – we have also written to the Minister of Children’s rights to campaign for the protection of children’s rights.
In our Highwayman Topic, we look at criminality, law and in SMSC the criminal age of responsibility.
High Five links to taking responsibility for actions and our school community.
In RE, we study Judaism and Christianity to strengthen harmony between cultures allowing pupils to develop respect for different values.
In our Brazil Topic, we explore the lives of different cultures including tribes people and children living in Favelas to promote understanding of tolerance and harmony.
In our heroes’ topic, we have touched on the role of public servants as heroes, contributing positively to the community and society more widely and how the children could aspire to this role in later life.
During our World War One Topic, we explore respect for democracy and individual liberty.
In our exploration topic, we also explore the spread of the British Empire, Spanish and Portuguese Empires and the effect on the native people’s culture, including respecting different faiths and individual liberty.
Current Political Events, such as Political Elections, WW1 Centenary etc. are all discussed linked with class work and assemblies.
Year 6:
Location, Location, Location – map work, British Isles /capitals/customs/flags
Victorians – Royal family/changing laws/children’s rights/famous historical figures/inventions/how these have shaped the world
Literacy – debating – a democracy – voting
Journalistic writing – freedom of speech
PHSCE – democracy – school council/general election/how voting works
Britain as a multi-racial society and how we have become this
RE – Christianity and religious festivals
Assemblies
Assemblies support the promotion of British values through the Rights Respecting Agenda, SEAL and discussions about right and wrong. Children are able to learn about democracy through voting for School Councillors, Class Choice Pupil of the Week etc. They are also encouraged to have a voice.
Every Friday the DHT leads a High 5 Assembly in KS1 &KS2. As part of the assembly the children take part in a weekly British Birthday Challenge.This involves the children finding out the name of a successful British person who’s Birthday is/would have been celebrated that week. The children are given clues to the special person then they research the name at home and put their answers in a special box. Children are awarded for the correct answer in the following assembly where the special person and their achievements are discussed. The aims of the assemblies are:
- To believe in yourself and have aspirations.
- To understand how you can contribute to your community.
- To celebrate British achievement.
- To know the importance of hard work.
- To know individuals can create change for the better.
- To respect those who have done great things.
- To have courage when you believe in something.
- To have acceptance for everyone.
British Birthdays cover a diverse set of people, some from history, some living. A few examples to date are Mo Farah, Queen Elizabeth II, Steven Hawking, The Beatles, Ralph Fiennes, Samuel Pepys, Jessica Ennis, Isaac Newton, Eric Morcambe.
Often families work together to solve the challenge and there is healthy competition between some children and Teaching Assistants.
