At Cardinal Newman School we recognise that each student is a member of God’s family and as such, is a unique person at his/her own point in the journey of faith. We provide a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment with a warm and welcoming atmosphere in which to live and learn.
In order to achieve our mission to be committed to development of the whole person, we recognise not only the importance of allowing students to flourish academically but we also embrace our wider role in preparing them for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum. Part of our role in that preparation is ensuring that we promote and reinforce British values to our students and that they proceed to adulthood with dignity and confidence.
The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and considered them to be: Democracy, Rule of law, Individual liberty, Mutual respect, and Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. At Cardinal Newman these values are reinforced in a pervasive manner and permeate the school community at every level.
Democracy
- At Cardinal Newman the principle of democracy is consistently reinforced, with the democratic process being employed for important decisions within the school community.
- Students have their views heard through our elections being held for the School Council, student voice, voting during our PSHE ‘talking points’ sessions, peer mentoring, charity work, modelling behaviour for learning, student prefects and for our numerous leadership roles for students.
- The principle of democracy is also explored through our assembly themes and our curriculum across all key stages.
The Rule of Law
- Students are taught to have a high regard for the laws that govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
- These values and the reasons behind laws, whether they govern the classroom, the school, or the country, are essential for our student’s well-being and safety. Students are encouraged to have healthy debates in class on the matter to encourage recognition of the importance of the law.
- Our behaviour and rewards policy establishes a clear use of rewards and sanctions.
- Positive behaviour to and from school is reinforced through assemblies, our pastoral programme and by the presence of staff on duty outside school.
- We organise visits from a range of other agencies e.g. Police and Fire Service, throughout the academic year to reinforce the reality and importance of this message.
Individual Liberty
- Within Cardinal Newman, students are actively encouraged to make independent choices knowing that they are in a safe, secure, and supportive environment.
- As a school we educate and provide boundaries for students to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. Whether it is choosing a challenging task or an extra-curricular club, students have the freedom to base their choices on their interests.
- Students are encouraged to know, understand, and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely. For example, through our exploration of E-Safety in computing lessons, assemblies, or part of their pastoral programme during tutor time.
Mutual Respect
- Respect, personal behaviour, and self-discipline are at the core of our school ethos, and these are modelled by students and staff alike.
- The school promotes respect for others, and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning environments, as well as our Behaviour and Rewards policy prompting our core ASPIRE values.
- In line with our commitment to democracy, students at Cardinal Newman Catholic are always able to voice their opinions and we foster an environment where students are safe to disagree with each other.
- Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum from the concept of ‘fair play’ in PE, opportunities to debate topical questions during our ‘talking points’ sessions, to the student mentoring programme which promotes mutual respect and support between students across different year groups within the school.
Tolerance of those of different Faiths and Beliefs
- Cardinal Newman is a Catholic School for All. Our strong Catholic ethos is inclusive of all faiths and those with no specific faith and we promote a strong sense of community. This is achieved through equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity within the school community.
- Students are given a range of opportunities to be of service to the local community, the Church and society in general irrespective of race and creed. Additionally, students are actively encouraged to share their faith and beliefs within the school. Our Religious Education curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions, and cultures, while we provide an extensive and valuable induction to all staff and students who are non-Catholic.
- Throughout the year, assemblies are held focusing on anti-bullying, with reference to prejudice-based bullying, and discussion is encouraged in tutor time as part of our pastoral programme.
- We also run a number of trips abroad throughout the academic year from which our students gain valuable experience of other cultures and languages.
The school seeks opportunities to draw links between British Values and curriculum subjects wherever possible to enhance students’ learning. This is reviewed within our subjects intents and curriculum audit documents.
Should you feel that the school is not meeting this requirement, you should contact the school office and request to express your concerns with the Headteacher. Likewise, if you feel that anyone working at the school is undermining these values you should report this to the Headteacher.