Beliefs and Values
How we teach beliefs and values at Lady Margaret Primary SchoolAt Lady Margaret Primary School our Beliefs and Values curriculum helps children develop personal qualities such as thoughtfulness, honesty, respect for diversity, moral principles, independence and self-respect.
Our Beliefs and Values curriculum has two strands:
Religious Education:
At Lady Margaret, we follow the London Borough of Ealing agreed syllabus for Religious Education, Sowing the Seeds for the Future, as is the statutory requirement for community primary schools. Through this, children are taught about the central elements of the major world religions.
Children have the opportunity to explore faith and spirituality, develop a deeper sense of their own beliefs and values and ask and consider challenging questions within a context of mutual trust and respect. In line with the philosophy of this syllabus, we believe that RE helps equip children to be members of the diverse local, national and international communities in which they live. It allows them to look beyond themselves and discover fundamental things about themselves and about being human.
RE is primarily taught in units over the course of the year and the curriculum is enriched by visits to local places of worship and visitors to the School from various religious backgrounds.
PHSE:
The personal, health and social education of our pupils is actively promoted within and beyond the curriculum. Children learn to respect others with different beliefs, faiths or cultural background and have opportunities to share and develop ideas about their own beliefs and values through assemblies, and through the curriculum, particularly through our weekly themes and within our religious education.
Our children are encouraged to approach their learning with a sense of curiosity, imagination and responsibility, reflecting on their experiences and showing interest in the world around them.
Assemblies are times of meeting together and an opportunity for children to reflect on personal, health social or cultural issues presented through stories, music, poetry, drama etc. This collective worship, when pupils of all faiths and none come together to reflect, is planned with careful consideration to the multi-cultural nature of the School.
The majority of assemblies are held in phases (Lower Phase, Middle Phase and Higher Phase), although some assemblies are held in class.
The PHSE curriculum ensures pupils develop their understanding of morality and the social skills to engage in learning; the code of conduct based on values is well understood, with children aware of consequences and able to co-operate and collaborate with one another.
Opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and contribute to the wider community are provided initially in class and later, as pupils grow older, through the School Council and house captains. Children also develop awareness of society outside school through visits and visitors that broaden their experience and understanding of the curriculum and the community.
The School embraces its diverse culture, and the opportunities available to a London school to participate in cultural opportunities, through visits to museums, parks and farms, workshops led by artists or theatre groups and wide ranging sporting and musical opportunities.