Consultation on promoting British values in school
23 Jun 2014 04:04 PM
Announcing the launch of
a consultation on strengthening powers to intervene in schools failing to
promote British values.
The Department for Education
today launched a consultation on strengthening powers to intervene in schools
which are failing to actively promote British values.
Independent schools, including
academies and free schools, are already required to encourage pupils to respect
British values through the Independent School Standards. These proposals will
strengthen this standard further, and provide a stronger basis for swift
intervention in schools which are not actively promoting British
values.
Currently there is no similar
standard applied to local authority maintained schools. Ofsted will introduce
an equivalent expectation on maintained schools through changes to the Ofsted
framework later this year.
A Department for Education
spokesperson said:
Keeping our children safe and
ensuring schools prepare them for life in modern Britain could not be more
important. This change is an important step towards ensuring we have a strong
legal basis for intervening in those schools where this is an
issue.
The vast majority of schools
already promote British values. This is about making sure we have the tools we
need to intervene if children are being let down.
The government set out its
definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy - values
of:
- democracy
- the rule of
law
- individual
liberty
- mutual respect
- tolerance of those of different
faiths and beliefs
and this definition has been
used in the Independent School Standards since January 2013. This definition
remains the same in the new standards.
It is expected these
strengthened regulations will take effect in September 2014, and will sit
alongside the requirements of the Equalities Act, which also apply to all types
of school.
Schools will be expected to
focus on, and be able to show how their work with pupils is effective in,
embedding fundamental British values. Actively promoting also means challenging
pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British
values.
Action will also be taken
against schools where, for example, girls are disadvantaged on the grounds of
their gender - or where prejudice against those of other faiths is encouraged
or not adequately challenged.
The consultation will state
that:
- extremism should not form part
of the curriculum or teaching and that students are encouraged to respect other
people and no student is discriminated against contrary to the Equality Act
2010
- the spiritual, moral, social and
cultural (SMSC) standard will be strengthened so that proprietors must actively
promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law,
individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those with different
faiths and beliefs, and encourage students to respect other people, with
particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act
2010
- the welfare, health and safety
standard will be strengthened by requiring schools to not only draw up relevant
policies but to also implement them effectively, and to have effective risk
assessments in place to safeguard and promote students’
welfare
It will also inroduce a new
requirement for schools to publish their inspection reports on their
websites.
The Department for
Education’s governors’ handbook will reflect the new advice and
highlight governors’ role in setting and securing an appropriate ethos,
and monitoring practice in the school.
Deadlines
Comments on Part 2 (spiritual,
moral, social and cultural development) and Part 4 (suitability of staff,
supply staff and proprietors) should be submitted by 10am on Monday 4 August
2014.
For the remaining standards,
comments should be submitted by 10am on Monday 18 August 2014.
Notes to
editors
View the live
consultation.
View the 2013 independent school
standards.
Enquiries