British Values

At Ditton Nursery School the fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs are actively promoted and embedded within our curriculum and nursery life.

Democracy: making decisions together

• Staff encourage children to see their role in the bigger picture. Children know their views count, learn to value each other’s perspectives, and talk about their feelings (for example, when they do or do not need help). When appropriate, staff demonstrate democracy in action, such as children sharing views on what the theme of their role-play area could be with a show of hands.
• Staff support the decisions that children make during planning times and provide daily activities that involve turn-taking, sharing, and collaboration during both child-initiated and adult-led learning. Children develop enquiring minds in an atmosphere where questions are highly valued.

Rule of law: understanding rules matter

As part of our active focus on managing feelings and behaviour within Personal, Social and Emotional Development (PSED):

• Staff ensure that children understand their own and others’ behaviour and its consequences, learning to distinguish right from wrong in line with our Achieving Positive Behaviour policy.
• Staff collaborate with children to co-create baseline rules and codes of behaviour, such as agreeing on rules for tidying up, ensuring all children understand that rules apply fairly to everyone.

Individual liberty: freedom for all

• Children develop a positive sense of themselves. Staff provide continuous opportunities for children to develop self-knowledge, self-esteem, and confidence in their own abilities. This includes allowing children to safely manage and take risks within the outdoor area, investigate their environment, plan their own sessions, and talk about their experiences during ongoing child-initiated play and recall time.
• Staff encourage a rich range of experiences that allow children to explore the language of feelings and responsibility, reflect on differences, and understand that we are all free to have different opinions—for example, during small group discussions about how they feel about transitioning into Reception Class.

Mutual respect and tolerance: treating others as you want to be treated

• Senior leaders and the wider staff team cultivate an ethos of inclusivity and tolerance where all views, faiths, cultures, and races are genuinely valued, and children are actively engaged with the wider community.
• Children acquire an appreciation of, and respect for, their own and other cultures. They learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others, including families, faiths, communities, cultures, and traditions, by regularly sharing and discussing daily practices, celebrations, and lived experiences.
• Staff explicitly encourage and explain the vital importance of tolerant behaviours, such as sharing and respecting the opinions of others.
• Staff consistently promote diverse, positive attitudes and challenge stereotypes by selecting stories that reflect and value the diversity of children’s experiences, and by providing resources and activities that actively challenge gender, cultural, and racial stereotyping.