Great Park Academy effectively embeds fundamental British values into learning. The government set out their definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy which were reinforced in September 2014. These new regulations sit alongside the requirements of the Equalities Act, which also applies to all types of schools.
Democracy
Our pupils learn about democracy through a range of curriculum subjects such as History and PSHE. We have an active student council who are elected by their peers each academic year. They meet regularly with staff and each other to discuss matters that are important to them and our school community. Pupils are encouraged to keep up to date with national and world affairs through reading and watching the news. Historic and current events that relate to democracy are discussed and debated during assemblies, lessons, and tutor time.
Rule of law
Rules and laws are an important part of life. They help to keep us safe and ensure that individuals and communities happily live alongside one another. We use the school PRAISE code to reinforce the importance of rules in school and how they help to support a safe and cohesive school community. Our pupils understand that rules, whether set in school, the community or in law, have been set for an important reason and should be both respected and followed.
We reinforce the value of the Rule of Law through the curriculum and assembly time. Visitors from the local and wider community, such as the police, fire service and transport workers, talk to the pupils about the importance of the law and the impact it can have on a person's life if they do not follow it.
Pupils receive praise, recognition, and rewards for actively following the school rules and playing their part in creating a positive school community.
Individual liberty
The school is unwavering in its commitment to building a school community that has mutual respect at its core.
At the GPA, we offer a curriculum that is rich in culture and diversity in which all major religions are studied and respected. We strongly believe that tolerance is gained through knowledge and understanding. We feel it is imperative that we play our part in developing young people who respect others, regardless of their religion, race, gender, age, or sexuality.
PREVENT
All schools are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to have “due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism”. This duty is known as the PREVENT duty.
To satisfy our PREVENT duty we have put in place the following across our school:
- Promotion of British Values
- Staff training
- IT policies in place to prevent access to inappropriate material in school
- A broad and balanced curriculum that creates opportunities for debating issues connected to extremism
As part of our commitment to working with the prevent agenda, we work closely with the local Prevent Officer for Newcastle and the Community Police teams.