At Waverley, promoting British Values is fundamental to creating an inclusive, respectful, and empowering environment. We achieve this by embedding these values into every aspect of our curriculum, activities, and community interactions, ensuring that all pupils, regardless of their individual needs, can participate meaningfully and develop essential social and moral understanding.
Embedding values through the curriculum and activities
We introduce core British Values—such as fairness, respect, and kindness—using visual aids, stories, and symbols tailored to our pupils’ communication abilities. For example, we model and use pictures, stories, and symbols to illustrate concepts like sharing and caring. Multisensory activities, including tactile games and sensory stories, reinforce understanding of rights, responsibilities, and respect for others. Learning materials are carefully adapted to ensure accessibility—for instance, using simplified language, alternative communication methods like PECS or AAC devices, and sensory resources—so every pupil can participate actively and confidently.
Promoting Democracy
We foster a sense of individual agency by facilitating opportunities for communication and acknowledging and responding to all attempts of communication. Spontaneous and autonomous communication attempts are extremely important and it is paramount that all students understand that their voice and their opinion is valid and should be listened to. We encourage students to ask questions and create opportunities for pupils to express their preferences and feelings in a safe, supportive setting, supporting their understanding of their voice and agency.
We encourage students to share their opinion, thoughts and feelings using a range of AAC aids. Students state their opinion through the school council and during EHCP reviews. Each class has a school council representative who is elected every September. The school council make important decisions about the school.
Achievements are embedded into our school culture via assemblies and award ceremonies (i.e. Jack Petchy).
Understanding the Rule of Law
Our ethos and school culture promotes and reinforces respect for everyone and clear expectations help students distinguish right from wrong. Routines are clear, consistent, and reinforced throughout the school day. These methods help pupils understand rules, and safety in familiar contexts both in school and in the local community, such as classroom behaviour, right from wrong and even crossing the road. Celebrating achievements related to respecting rules and understanding safety encourages positive behaviour and reinforces the importance of law and order in daily life.
Encouraging Mutual Respect and Tolerance
We promote kindness and understanding through peer interactions, group work, and social stories that highlight respect for others. Celebrating diversity is integral; we include stories, music, and activities from various cultures and belief systems in accessible formats, fostering an appreciation for differences. Staff model respectful language and behaviours consistently, positively reinforcing pupils when they demonstrate respectful interactions and inclusive attitudes. Our curricula encourage respectful discussion of differences between people i.e in disability, gender, race, faith, sexuality. Staff and pupils are encouraged to challenge discriminatory or prejudicial language and behaviour. As a school we celebrate our diverse community and utilise our local community to provide rich, real life experiences.
Fostering Individual Liberty and Confidence
Supporting pupils in developing independence skills appropriate to their abilities is central. We create opportunities for self-expression, such as choosing clothing or providing activities which encourage the students to communicate their likes, dislikes, preferences, wants, needs, wishes and dreams. Skilled communication partners scaffold communication helping to build confidence and self-esteem in self-expression. Personalised communication tools, including AAC devices and visual supports, empower pupils to express their needs, opinions, and preferences, nurturing their sense of autonomy. As students develop their skills they are supported to make safe choices and take appropriate risk to enable them to grow and problem solve so they can make independent and safe decisions.
Vulnerability to Radicalisation or Extreme Viewpoints
Our school is committed to protecting students from exposure to any form of extreme ideology that could cause harm to themselves or others. Recognising the ease of access to information via the internet, we prioritise educating students on the responsible use of social media and the risks associated with downloading or sharing inappropriate and illegal content, in line with the Counter-Terrorism Act. We carefully vet all visitors to ensure a safe environment and will take decisive action if we believe anyone is attempting to influence our school community; either in person or online. Our definition of radical or extreme ideology refers to ideas that may justify discrimination or violence against individuals or groups, or against oneself. Our staff are trained to identify signs of extremist views and behaviours and are encouraged to report any concerns promptly. Our commitment to diversity is at the heart of everything we do. We emphasise shared values such as self-respect, tolerance, and the sanctity of life, fostering an inclusive environment. We strive to broaden students’ experiences and prepare them for life and work in modern Britain by teaching respect for diversity and guiding them to make safe, informed decisions.
Links to our Curriculum
Engaging Families and the Community
We actively involve families through workshops, coffee mornings, newsletters, and shared activities and events that promote understanding of British Values. Collaborations with local community groups enable us to host inclusive events celebrating diversity and shared values, strengthening community bonds and reinforcing these principles beyond the school.
Staff Training and Sensitivity
Our staff receive ongoing training to adapt discussions of values to the developmental levels and individual needs of pupils. They are trained to model respectful behaviours and to be sensitive to pupils’ backgrounds and experiences, ensuring a consistent and supportive approach that promotes British Values authentically and effectively.
In Summary
Our school promotes British Values by integrating them into everyday practice through the curriculum and through accessible, respectful, and inclusive approaches and activities. This fosters a school culture rooted in respect, understanding, and active participation, supporting the social and moral development of our students. Such an environment not only nurtures individual growth but also prepares our pupils to be respectful and responsible members of society.
