Ethos and Values

OUR AIMS AND VALUES

We believe that Egglescliffe School provides an exceptional educational experience through high academic standards, a supportive pastoral ethos and a wealth of enrichment opportunities which develops the whole person. This was confirmed by Ofsted in February 2024 when the school was last inspected and proudly achieved a fourth consecutive outstanding grade with Ofsted stating that ‘high-quality education which is skilfully enriched with unique and inspiring opportunities’.

At Egglescliffe we are committed to giving every student the opportunity to achieve their full potential to become confident, self-assured learners. Whilst our academic results are some of the best in the area we also strive to develop essential life skills amongst our students so they are equipped to participate fully and contribute positively to life as active citizens in a modern democratic society. We encourage our students to understand and appreciate the viewpoints of others with moral and ethical issues, promoting tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. We help the pupils develop an understanding of the diverse society in which they live and help them appreciate that everyone is an individual in their own right. Pupils are encouraged to debate and discuss topical and sometime controversial issues which include human rights and responsibilities within both a national and global context. Pupils are made aware throughout their education at Egglescliffe School of the importance of individual liberty as well as an understanding of the role of law and justice in modern society. We firmly believe in the importance of educating our students to understand the importance of qualities such as honesty, reliability, respect, reflection and resilience.

We aim to develop lively, enquiring minds, encouraging our students to have a thirst for learning. We work closely with our students, building their self-confidence so they can become more independent in their learning. This enables our students to view education as a lifelong process. In addition to this, students are supported and guided through the key transition points of their education to ensure they make the right choices for their future. For many parents, the positive and pro-active pastoral care that the students experience every day is the main reason for choosing Egglescliffe School.

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FUNDAMENTAL BRITISH VALUES

Egglescliffe School has a duty to develop the whole child and to promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. As part of this, we actively demonstrate that we promote fundamental British values.

Much of this work is done through our contemporary and relevant PSHE programme that is delivered to all students as part of their curriculum entitlement.

As part of fundamental British values pupils are explicitly taught to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance. The units of ‘Tackling Racism‘, ‘Anti-Bullying awareness‘ and ‘Tolerance and diversity‘ help us address this aspect of fundamental British values.

Students need to be taught right from wrong and to understand that people living in England are subject to English law. To address this the PSHE programme has units on

• Law and Justice
• Anti-Bullying awareness
• Tackling Racism
• Human rights

Pupils need to learn to respect democracy and how citizens can influence decision making through the democratic process. In the PSHE programme there are explicit units on

• Politics and democracy
• UK place in the world

While the above outlines some of the specific ways in which pupils at Egglescliffe School are taught about fundamental British values, it is important to note that a strong school ethos of respect, kindness and inclusion make sure pupils feel valued.

The full PSHE programme can be viewed on the school website under the pastoral care tab.

British Values in…

English

In English, students have the opportunity to explore and discuss British values through exposure to a wide range of drama, poetry and prose which enriches their understanding of topical issues. This includes themes of respect, tolerance and individual liberty in novels such as The Breadwinner, Noughts and Crosses and Of Mice and Men as well as themes of democracy, law and tolerance in plays such as Blood Brothers, An Inspector Calls and Macbeth. Various non-fictions texts and anthology poems also focus on themes related to power, conflict and issues within democratic and autocratic societies. Through written tasks and spoken language components, students can also voice their own opinions, debate topics and explore freedom of speech.

Maths

To study maths is to train oneself in the art of reason, assembling the facts before making logical deductions – maths removes any prejudice. By its very nature, maths knows no borders, knows no race, religion or gender and knows no social background.

Science

Scientific breakthroughs rely on individuals working together with mutual respect and tolerance for one another. In our Science lessons we acknowledge and respect the viewpoints of others, particularly when covering difficult topics such as genetic modification or quarrying. Furthermore, in practical lessons we follow the safety rules which demonstrates our understanding of the rule of law in order to keep ourselves and our peers safe.

Art

There is a clear focus on safety and wellbeing when in specific practical learning rooms. We explore, and show an appreciation of, art from a variety of different cultural backgrounds such as the work of Frida Kahlo.

Business

Fundamental British values are promoted throughout the curriculum, specifically within the topic of globalisation and how this supports the UK economy and cultural issues within marketing.

Computer Science

In computer science we look at eSafety and the importance of mutual respect and tolerance when communicating with others. When creating digital products we need to be aware of our audience and consider the implications of the imagery and designs that we produce. Computer programming relies entirely on logic and is agnostic of race, creed or religion.

Design Technology

During Design Technology lessons there are many opportunities to promote social responsibilities. All the learners have a collective responsibility to ensure they contribute to a safe working environment where the use of tools and equipment are involved. DT often originates from an idea or artefact and to develop a wider cultural awareness we explore our past heritage as well as investigate and use as our stimulus foods, textiles, designers, brands and iconinc developments from different cultures and periods of time. In projects at Key 4 and 5, learners are asked to consider the wider context when developing new ideas to market, in particular how other ethnic groups, religious groups and genders may perceive the design or images used to represent the product.

Drama

In Drama we promote the ethos of British Values. Working in groups; co-operation, motivation and respect is the basis of the learning which encourages the students to develop patience and esteem with in themselves and towards others.

Economics

At the beginning of the course we explore the political context in which the UK economy works i.e. liberal democracy compared to more authoritarian political systems and economies.
It is implicit in our study of macroeconomic decision making and policy implementation that the UK has a democratic approach which has led to different approaches to solving economic problems in different eras. The success of a policy is also dependant on how the electorate feel about its effectiveness.
Study of distribution theory explores discrimination in pay and how theory can explain that differentiation with regard to sex, age race and religion. We cover the various laws which relate to ensuring equality in the labour force. We also explore income inequality and whether this can be regarded as fair or not by exploring both sides of the argument.
We also cover many legal aspects with respect to the European Union, Trade and BREXIT. We also explore the impact of the free movement of people in the EU single market and the impact this has on the labour force and on public services.

Geography

In geography we teach the students about different areas and communities around our country. This therefore demonstrates the diversity that is evident in today’s Britain and also often links it to our past history to explain how we are today. Students also learn about the positive impact that migration has on our economy.

Health and Social Care

British Values underpin many aspects of the course that we deliver within Health and Social Care. As such, these themes recur in many topics that we teach as part of our Level 2 and 3 qualifications we cover both Law, Democracy, Positive Values and Employment Law are covered to some depth as well as the importance of these laws in determining British liberties and freedoms. In our health units, we analyse the impact of mutual respect, tolerance and equal opportunities when working with employees and people from a wide range of sectors. We discuss and debate on how different ethnic groups, religious beliefs and male and female gender equalities are regularly addressed in the health sector and today’s society.

History

To study history is to explore the values which make up British society. Through the study of communities from 1066 to the present we explore the evolution of the democratic process in Britain, the ways in which people in society participate to make change at all levels. We explore whether society has always been tolerant to all cultures, individuals, and faiths. In history we teach students to question, reason and assemble the facts before making logical decisions.

Hospitality and Catering

Effective learning and work, take place in the classrooms and kitchens where there is tolerance and mutual respect. As part of the Level 1/2 Hospitality and catering courses the importance of Health and Safety legislation is taught. Learners discuss employment rights, the law and how it impacts on employees.

Law

British values are promoted throughout the A-Level Law curriculum but particularly via the topic of Human Rights whereby students learn about the events which preceded the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the necessity of every person to be guaranteed basic rights and freedoms as well as the meaning and importance of democracy.

Media Studies

Media Studies encourages students to think about the role the media plays in enforcing and encouraging British Values through promoting democracy and rule of law through the narratives explored in news and entertainment. Specifically, students are given the skills to critically assess the messages in media products to understand bias and threats to fair democracy.

Modern Foreign Languages

British Values are a natural focus of MFL. People, their relationships and their interactions with others are an intrinsic part of what we teach, and the cultural immersion of learning a language cannot be avoided. We give our students an opportunity to both consider the needs and experiences of people of other cultures, and reflect upon their own response to this. We also encourage students to discover, discuss and debate unfamiliar lifestyles, global events, problems and changes.
British Values is not confined to the MFL classroom – we hope that the study of languages will positively affect our students’ lives and their understanding of the world around them.

Music

Music is central to the cultural history of Great Britain. However, it also reflects the diversity of ethnicity and multiculturalism of the 20th and 21st centuries. In music students listen to and work within a variety of musical styles which reflect both the right musical and cultural history of our country, but also how music diversified during the 20th century to embrace music from around the world, as well as multicultural influences from within our wider society.

Physical Education

Democracy – We learn about the importance of everyone’s opinion being heard and considered in rules & tactics; and solidarity in participating as part of a team and choosing activity options.
Mutual Respect – We respect the difference between people – favourite activities, different fitness levels, body shapes.
Individual Liberty – We provide activities & opportunities to develop self-confidence in individual activities and in team games; and encourage self-responsibility in managing their activities.
Rule of Law – We learn & respect rules in different games and follow key procedures to participate safely.
Tolerance & Peace – We have respect for people’s different abilities and understand that Together We Achieve More (TEAM) in physical activities.
Serving our community – We develop close links with local sports clubs and neighbouring schools.

Politics

Politics is the study of how British values are upheld in modern day Britain. The heart of democracy is the representation of our MPs and the process of voting that citizens undertake. We teach the rule of law throughout our focus on the Supreme Court and how individual liberty is upheld by all of our different institutions in power.

Religious Studies

Democracy: In RS we explore the Justice system of UK and non-UK countries in GCSE Crime and Punishment. We also explore themes of democracy from the perspective of the trials of Jesus and explore how these are similar/different to justice within modern society.
Rule of Law: In RS we look at a range of sacred texts, values and laws through different religious perspectives and through A-Level RS we analyse Legalism, Deontology and Antinomianism.
Respect & Tolerance: Respect and tolerance is at the heart of the RS agenda and we embed respect and mutual understanding in the challenging moral and religious topics we cover. We have a broad curriculum which covers Eastern, Western religions, differences amongst denominations within the same faiths and non-religious belief and perspectives as held by atheists and humanists.
Individual Liberty: As a subject we try to draw inspiration from the lives of influential political figures such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jnr, Mala Yousafazi to promote the importance of individual liberty irrespective of race, religion gender or sexuality