British Values

Definition and Meaning

The Rule of Law

The need for rules to make a happy, safe and secure environment to live and work.

Individual Liberty

Protection of your rights and the rights of others you work with.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

Understanding that we all do not share the same beliefs and values. Respecting the values, ideas and beliefs of others whilst not imposing our own others.

Democracy

A culture built upon freedom and equality, where everyone is aware of their rights and responsibilities.

School Values

British Values Link

Meaning and rationale

Justice

The Rule of Law

Individual Liberty

Democracy

When thinking about ‘justice’, some people think first about giving wrongdoers the punishment they deserve. However, that would be a one-sided picture of justice. Justice also means giving all people - particularly the poor and oppressed - what it is right and fair for them to have— life, health, freedom and dignity. It is about acting out of a concern for what is right and seeing right prevail. It is about social justice, especially for those who suffer most and are least able to protect themselves. Justice is not about a culture which encourages everyone to insist on their own rights at the expense of others. It is about a community that knows that everyone’s well-being is bound up with that of everyone else. A commitment to justice leads to fierce opposition to injustice in whatever form it may be found. Justice is a pre-requisite of peace: without justice, there can be no peace.

Forgiveness

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

We forgive because we are forgiven.

Forgiveness is fundamental to the character of God. Jesus was uncompromising in his command to forgive. Forgive, he said, ‘seventy times seven’ (Matthew 18:21). In other words, forgive and keep on forgiving without limit.

Forgiveness cannot be given or received unless it is asked for, and the asking must be genuine and from the heart. Too often ‘sorry’ is said very easily, implying: ‘All I need to do is say I’m sorry and everything will be OK’. Real repentance demands that we take what we have done wrong with the utmost seriousness and have a deep desire not to do it again.

Compassion

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

The word has its roots in the idea of ‘suffering with’ someone, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and experiencing what they experience. This leads to a desire to act.  It is not about ‘doing good’ from a position of strength or ‘remembering those less fortunate than ourselves’; compassion requires an act of imagination and humility to share in the lives of others.

Service

Democracy

Words relating to ‘servant’ and ‘service’ are central in Christian theology. Some of the most important prophecies in Isaiah speak of the coming of the ‘Servant of the Lord’ and his role as a ‘suffering servant.’ That is why Jesus said that he ‘came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. The parable of the Good Samaritan shows we should serve those in need whoever they are. Such service is not offered to gain some advantage for ourselves. ‘Going the extra mile’ involves sacrifice, putting ourselves out for someone else’s benefit. Serving God means serving others. The Christian message is equally clear that service is not all about restrictions. It is precisely in a life of service that we become most truly free.

Peace

The Rule of Law

Individual Liberty

Democracy

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

The Hebrew term for peace, ‘shalom’, has a deep and complex meaning, encompassing much more than simply the absence of hostility or war. Shalom includes ideas of healing and health, wholeness and well-being. It means harmony, stability and security within a community. It refers to relationships based on truth and righteousness, where people flourish because they are nurtured.  Humankind has to learn and re-learn the message of peace. It does not come easily or automatically. We constantly fall back into hostility and suspicion.

Peace cannot come by simply wishing it to be the case. Peace is founded on righteousness and justice. Christians are called to share in Christ’s work of restoring wholeness. The Christian vision in this respect is far-reaching and challenging: harmony between people, harmony between people and God, and harmony between humans and the whole created order.

Thankfulness

Thankfulness is directed towards God who gives and sustains life. Seeing the world as God’s creation underpins the way we approach everything in life, seeing it as a gift and not as a right.  Thankfulness is a wholehearted response. It stems from a consciousness of God’s gifts and blessings. It is a joyfulness that erupts into praise.  We have much to be thankful for.

Community

The Rule of Law

Individual Liberty

Democracy

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

Koinonia means ‘that which is in common’ and is often translated as ‘fellowship’ or ‘community’. Other translations might include ‘union’, ‘partnership’, or ‘being yoked together’. A yoke is a shaped piece of wood that goes across the shoulders, often linking two animals. By combining their strength, it helps work to be done and burdens to be carried. Koinonia expresses the quality of relationship within the Christian community. It is based on fellowship with Jesus. Through him, Christians share the relationship that Jesus has with God and are part of the same family. A central element of being a family is interdependence: all are needed and valued and each person is important to the whole.