Staff Mail
The DfE has published guidance to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. It requires all schools to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to 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 Morden these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
At Morden we believe it is important that the children feel part of the school community and that their opinions and ideas are valued. School Council members are elected by their peers and have the opportunity to have their voices heard through fortnightly School Council Meetings. The elected councillors discuss issues and suggest ways to improve the life of the school and contribute to the local and wider community, for example deciding which charities the school should support for the year, building a partnership with local organisations and assist in running events with the school.
The importance of Laws are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days through our promotion of our Golden Rules, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Knowing, understanding and following our Golden Rules is essential for our school to be a safe learning environment. The Golden Rules apply to all members of the school community. Our Golden Rules are on display in all classrooms, in corridors and promoted through assemblies. All are reinforced by staff members. 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. Sports Leaders work alongside adults to support children in the playground.
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely and responsibly, for example through our Online Safety and PSHE lessons. Our children are supported to stay safe and contribute positively beyond the school environment through: our PSHE curriculum, visits and visitors – including partaking in the Year 6 Junior Citizenship programme which includes workshops on topics such as gangs, bullying, cyber-bullying and domestic violence.
As a small school, there is a strong sense of community and belonging. Our core values of Teamwork and Respect underpin our school philosophy. We believe our school vision and values are essential in developing well rounded citizens. Our values are incorporated into whole school assemblies and lessons. Cultural diversity is a key aspect of our school and racial harmony is a strength which demonstrates and highlights the importance of mutual respect for differences. We are an inclusive school and we ensure that children not only feel welcome in our school but understand the values and ethos of the school. We ensure our children have a clear understanding of both their rights and responsibilities. This promotes not only the values of our school but also of the country as a whole, as democracy, tolerance and rule of law are central to the school’s vision.
Our pupils share a growing understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and they have opportunities to experience diversity. We are proud to be a school of many different heritages. Visitors, parents and pupil members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Our RE curriculum enables our children to learn about different faiths and to share their own. We believe our school to be at the centre of our local community; our vision and values are embodied in celebrations and events such as coffee mornings, the community fair, our charitable work and participation in various sporting, academic and artistic endeavours.