'Inspire, Discover, Encourage one another' is the vision statement for our school. Quite simply, this highlights that we want our pupils to be inspired by the things that they do; we want them to discover new learning through a rich and varied curriculum, and we want them to encourage and support each other on a daily basis. This vision is also underpinned by our five core values as seen below: 

British Values

In addition to our own school values, we also uphold and teach pupils about British Values. These are defined as:

• democracy
• rule of law
• individual liberty
• mutual respect
• tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

What does democracy mean at our school?

Being democratic is about fairness and giving everyone the equal right to voice their opinion. It helps people work together and be part of a team. Being democratic is also about listening to others and trying to understand how they think. All pupils at our school have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our Smart School Council. Elections are held for our Year 6 pupils, with those who are successful forming teams to lead on key issues and development priorities across the school.

What does rule of law mean at our school?

Rule of law is an agreed and shared sense of what is right and wrong. It’s also about enforcing rules and laws through our public sector, which includes the police, courts, judges and governing bodies. As a value, rule of law ensures a peaceful approach to everyday life where everyone abides by the same laws and no one gets treated differently. At Bentfield Primary School, we have three simple rules that make up our behaviour code of conduct: we are ready, we are respectful and we are safe.

What does individual liberty mean at our school?

Individual liberty means that people have the freedom and right to think and express what they feel, as long as it is within the laws of the country. This means that having individual liberty is also about being responsible for what you say and do, as it will have a direct effect on other people. In Britain, we are free to express ourselves with confidence and independence, but we must take responsibility for the consequences of our actions.

What does mutual respect and tolerance mean at our school?

At Bentfield Primary School, we teach children that tolerance and respect is about understanding, listening to and living alongside people who have a different belief, faith and lifestyle to you. It’s about showing empathy, thoughtfulness and understanding that there is no one way to be British. We are all different and that is something we should celebrate.

We have a well-planned and thorough programme of assemblies that explores important festivals from many religious and cultural backgrounds around the world in order that pupils are made aware that there are many different ways of living and/or believing that may be similar or different to their own. The underlying theme to the discussion in our assemblies is around being tolerant of others and celebrating uniqueness and difference.