SMSC / British Values

St. Bede’s Catholic Junior School provides a caring, Catholic education for our children.  By living the Gospel values in all curriculum areas, and in the general life of the school, our children and staff,

“Journey together so that all might have life; life in all its fullness”.  (John 10:10)

The distinctive nature and religious character of our school is not something that can be restricted to Religious Education lessons, but must present itself in all aspects of our school life especially in the way we aim to assist the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils.

In St. Bede’s, we believe that education is a means of proclaiming and revealing the life and teachings of Jesus Christ to our children so that they may develop fully as human beings and discover purpose and meaning in their lives, now and in the future.

We also believe in celebrating the diversity of the modern society in which we live, recognising our British identity, distinctive Catholic charism and the call to live in love and respect of our neighbours.

Promoting British Values at St. Bede’s Catholic Junior School

At St. Bede’s these values are intrinsic to our daily life and we celebrate them in the  following ways:

Democracy is the belief that everyone has an equal say in how the country is run and how decisions are made through fair processes like voting. At St. Bede’s, pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through electing representative members to our School Council and providing pupil voice through interviews, focus groups and questionnaires. The elections of school councillors are based solely on pupil votes.

The Rule of Law is the principle that all people and institutions are subject to fair laws that protect individual safety, rights, and security. The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are regularly reinforced and consolidated throughout the daily life of the school. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.

Individual Liberty involves the protection of people's freedom to make their own choices, hold their own opinions, and express themselves safely. Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. We empower pupils to make decisions safely, allowing them to extend and deepen their ability to reflect upon and respond constructively to their own and other people’s choices or actions. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise on how to exercise these safely, for example through e-Safety and PSHE lessons, and whole-school assemblies.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance is understanding, accepting, and respecting people from different backgrounds, cultures, faiths, or those with no faith at all. At St. Bede’s, our core expectation (“We are children of God who respect, love and achieve.”) places respect as central to school life. Pupils regularly encounter other faiths and, through the Religious Education curriculum, learn about dialogue with others in the Christian and world community.

The school's SMSC policy outlines the aims of and provision for developing the pupils of St. Bede's spiritually, morally, socially and culturally.