At Browick Road, we believe that embedding the teaching of British Values in our EYFS is a vital part of developing our children as independent thinkers, with improved social skills and tolerance, who are well prepared for life as part of our school and the wider world.

Democracy

From the time they start with us at Browick Road, we teach the children to listen to others, and that they themselves can expect to be listened to. We teach them how to be ‘good listeners’ (teaching the ‘Give Me 5’ rules for the carpet in Nursery, and using paired talk/talking partners with increasing frequency as children progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage) and provide plenty of opportunities for children to express their ideas and opinions in small and large groups.

We teach the children that they can expect to have a say in many aspects of their Nursery or school day. They have the opportunity to vote on things such as class rewards and, in Nursery, the children vote for their preferred story at story time using counters, which we then count up together. Reception children join the School Council in the spring term. Children learn to share resources, take turns, and work together to achieve a common goal.

The Rule of Law

We teach our EYFS children the importance of our ‘Golden Rule’ – We take care of each other. We discuss frequently why this rule is so important, how we can make sure we are following it and what the consequences may be if we do not. When our golden rule is not followed by a child, we use it as an opportunity to remind them, and others, that they are part of a community and that our golden rule helps us to make sure that everyone is happy, safe and able to learn.

Individual Liberty

At Browick Road, we teach our youngest children that they all have the freedom to make good choices. We encourage the children to take and manage risks independently, especially in our outdoor areas, during specific Physical Development sessions (such as ‘Bikes and Trikes’ on the school playground) and Forest School. We may ask the children ‘Do you think this is safe?’ If the response is ‘no’, we may ask the child what they think they could do to make the situation safe and support them in putting things right for themselves.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

We respect and celebrate differences at Browick Road. We use texts such as ‘The Same But Different Too’ to encourage the children to think about what these differences may be. We celebrate different types of homes, families and cultural backgrounds, exploring stories such as ‘And Tango Makes Three’, and inviting families from different cultural backgrounds to come in to school to share stories, pictures, food and music with us. We celebrate religious festivals and learn about the stories, special clothing, food and beliefs associated with them. We also try to encourage empathy in our children, using stories such as ‘The Suitcase’ to help them think about what it would be like to have to leave your home behind, and ‘Shu Lin’s Grandpa’ to help them understand how it would feel to live in a new country.

The staff in the EYFS at Browick Road act as role models, promoting respectful behaviour, modelling and encouraging good table manners at snack and meal times, scaffolding children’s play to help them develop their awareness of themselves as part of a larger community and helping them to become the good citizens of the future.