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Values & Ethos
School Policies
Life Matters

Promoting British Values

It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. King Edward VI High School is dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students.
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HM Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.

​The school uses strategies within the National Curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students.   The examples that follow show some of the many ways the school seeks to embed British values.
The five British values are:
  1. Democracy
  2. The rule of law
  3. Individual liberty
  4. Mutual respect
  5. ​Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs​

​How does King Edward VI positively promote British values?
Democracy
The principle of democracy is consistently being reinforced at King Edward VI High School, with democracy processes being used for important decisions within the school community, for instance, elections being held for Head Boy and Girl, House Captains and School Council members. The principle of democracy is also explored in the History and Religious Studies curriculum as well as in PSHEE and Citizenship Studies (known as Life Matters) across the key stages.
The rule of law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at King Edward VI High School. 
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Students are taught the rules and expectations of the school which are highlighted by the KEVI 6 Code of Conduct for both students and staff. Students are taught the value and the reasons behind laws that govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. 
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Laws of the United Kingdom and the European Union are studied within the school's Life Matters programme in Key Stage 3 and 4. 
Individual liberty
At King Edward VI High School, students are actively encouraged to make independent choices, with the knowledge that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Staff at King Edward VI High School educate and provide boundaries for students to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. 

Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through E-Safety, assemblies, registrations and the Tutorial programme. All students have completed a project on British Values in their form groups. 
King Edward VI High School has a robust anti-bullying culture and has in place a comprehensive Anti-Bullying Policy and Behaviour for Learning Policy, supported by a Hear4U Peer Mentoring service, run by students. 
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The school has strong links with the Old Edwardians' Association who take part in remembrance services at the school each year to commemorate the men and women from the historic school community who gave their lives to safeguard individual liberty. 
Mutual respect
Respect is a strong part of the ethos of King Edward VI High School and is part of its Aims, Purpose and Values. Students learn that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect and this is reiterated through its teaching and learning environments. 
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Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum by providing the opportunity for students to express their views in a safe environment as part of the school's KEVI 6 Standards.
​Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
This is achieved though equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving the opportunities to experience such diversity within the their lessons. 
Additionally, students are actively encouraged to share their faith and beliefs within the school and this is respected through the school's KEVI 6 Standards.

The Religious Studies curriculum, which is compulsory for all students up to the end of Key Stage 4, provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures. All students sit an examination in Religious Studies at GCSE level which focuses their understanding and tolerance of the six major world religions through a broad and balanced AQA syllabus. 
The school has strong links with local faith groups who play an active part in the Religious Studies curriculum through workshops.
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King Edward VI High School strives endlessly to ensure that its students leave with the strongest foundation of values upon which to build a successful life and make a successful contribution to British society.