British Values Statement

Promoting British Values at LPA 

The Department for Education sets out the responsibility of schools to “rigorously 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.” 

At Lakeside, these fundamental British values are taught, shown, and celebrated by all, from our youngest Nursery pupils right up to our Year Sixes. As a school we have a duty to prepare our learners for life in modern Britain, ensuring they contribute positively to our local and wider communities. We achieve this through the clear links to British Values throughout our ASPIRE Curriculum, as well as enhancement through meaningful assemblies, experiences and trips. 

Our children are at the forefront of everything we do at Lakeside, and therefore we aim to tailor as many of the experiences we offer as we can to their interests and desires. We ensure our pupils have a voice that is heard, which is facilitated by our Junior Leadership Team. This team is made up of democratically elected pupils from each class in Key Stage Two and is led by our Head Girl and Head Boy. Their influence on the running of key components of the day-to-day running of Lakeside include a varied school lunch menu which celebrates different cultures, investment in our school library selection and development of our school ethos. 

Our clear expectations for behaviour are: 

• Respectful Relationships 
• Staying safe 
• Kind and Caring 

These three statements underpin how we expect our children to behave in class and around the school, as well as beyond the school gate. Children are taught to respect these rules and are rewarded for doing so. We utilise Class Dojo as a system for rewarding positive behavioural choices, as well as our ASPIRE Award and Pledge Champion certificates given in weekly assemblies. Our local Police Community Support Officers have a positive presence in our school and lead workshops with our older pupils to develop their awareness and understanding of keeping safe in the community.  

Our school demography has changed significantly in recent years, which is an opportunity we have embraced. The various cultures of our children, families and staff are celebrated throughout the school year, and we aim to maintain a close working relationship with our local community to exploit the benefits this offers us. We regularly invite families into the classroom to showcase our children’s learning and to participate in events such as ‘Breakfast with a Book’ and ‘Cultural Crafternoons’. Our kitchen team work hard to develop inspiring themed menus which allow our children to celebrate the cuisines typical of the cultural make-up of our school.  

We encourage our pupils to exert tolerance and mutual respect of all faiths and cultures. Anti-racism workshops take place to ensure an understanding that everybody deserves an equal opportunity for success regardless of their racial identity. In addition, our RHE curriculum fosters an acceptance of the characteristics that are protected by law and the exposure to a variety of family orientations throughout the curriculum encourages our pupils to appreciate the differences everybody has to offer.