British Values UNICEF Rights and Diversity

At Carlton Road Academy our children learn about their responsibilities and rights as citizens through two key concepts: an understanding of “British Values” and the Unicef “Rights of the Child”. In addition to these they learn to understand the importance of protected characteristics both in discrete conversations and through real life examples

At Carlton Road Academy our children learn about their responsibilities and rights as citizens through two key concepts.

British Values

In 2014 the Government set out their expectations as regards the roles schools must play in ensuring children have a secure understanding of British Values:

British-Values

“A key part of our plan for education is to ensure children become valuable and fully rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background.

We want every school to promote the basic British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.

This ensures young people understand the importance of respect and leave school fully prepared for life in modern Britain.”

Children’s Rights

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is the basis of all of UNICEF’s the United Nations Children’s Fund work. It is the most complete statement of children’s rights ever produced and is the most widely ratified international human rights treaty in history. The Convention came into force in the UK in 1992.

“The UNCRC consists of 54 articles that set out children’s rights and how governments should work together to make them available to all children.

Under the terms of the convention, governments are required to meet children’s basic needs and help them reach their full potential. Central to this is the acknowledgement that every child has basic fundamental rights. These include the right to:

Life, survival and development
Protection from violence, abuse or neglect
An education that enables children to fulfil their potential
Be raised by, or have a relationship with, their parents
Express their opinions and be listened to.”

UN Rights of the Child Charter

At Carlton Road Academy we ensure children understand British Values and Children’s Rights by using a resource called “Picture News”.

“We want to provide our schools with resources to create engaging and exciting lessons, allowing opportunities for children to learn about our world, develop independence, resilience, respect and unlock their own drive and passion for learning. Teaching the news not only provides great content and stimulus and grips children’s attention, it is also something that the children can impact. It is current, happening now and so their voice is given meaning and purpose. It is our world and we all matter. We believe in giving children a voice and encouraging them to use it to impact things they are inspired by or feel passionately about.”

www.picture-news.co.uk/blog/about-us/

Each week the “Picture News” team take a key newsworthy, topical issue and set up an assembly and news articles to discuss it, relating the content to aspects of one of our British Values and one of the 54 Rights of the Child. In this way children learn about the rights and values in a child friendly appropriate, meaningful context. The “news” is presented as a question which can be unpicked and debated. There is also a weekly reflection and key vocabulary to learn. The first presentation is to all classes as an assembly, we use two versions one for Year R and 1 and another for Years 2 to 6. The content is repeated as a class assembly in further detail. There is also a whole school notice board to maintain awareness.

Children also learn British Values in our PSHE and RSE lessons , the pdf below shows how each value is covered in different topics.

British Values in the Jigsaw Scheme of Work

Recent Examples

Carlton Road Academy is an inclusive school which welcomes children from both its local community, our European neighbours and further afield. Boston has long been a town which has links with the wider world; from the Hanseatic trading league of the 1300s when it was the second largest port after London, to the modern day when two thirds of our children share English as their second language.

Ensuring diversity is celebrated the children learn to welcome and celebrate difference as a positive. Through our Picture News Assemblies 1 and through an understanding of protected characteristics.

Protected Characteristics

In this country the law “protects” (carefully looks after) people so they cannot be discriminated against. This means being treated differently, being disliked, being “picked on” because of:

How old you are.
Where you come from or for the colour of your skin.
Your sex or gender- if you are, or feel, male or female or other.
What you believe in.
Your relationship choices, to who or how you show your love.
How your body or mind looks or works.
Being pregnant – if you are expecting or caring for a new baby.

These are known as people’s protected characteristics, they are part of our character, what makes each of us who we are; a unique, special individual.

Further detail of how we share an understanding of protected characteristics can be read here: