British Values

Young people who attend Westgate Hill Primary Academy leave our school prepared for life in modern Britain. 

Democracy 

Democracy is alive within our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through, for example, our Pupil Parliament, Eco-Warriors and OPAL Play Cadets.  

Our children are also asked for their views through discussions with governors and staff, and through pupil questionnaires. Our Pupil Parliament representatives prepare a presentation on why they think they would be a good representative for their class and are then elected on a pupil vote. Members of our Pupil Parliament visit the Houses of Parliament in London to get a firsthand look at democracy in action. They share their knowledge with their friends in school when they return. They also visit the Newcastle City Council chambers and learn about local democratic processes.  

The Rule of Law 

The importance of laws and rules - whether they relate to the class, the school or the country - are consistently reinforced throughout the school day. This is done through, for example, how we deal with behaviour and through school assemblies.  

Pupils are taught the value of and reasons behind laws, and how they govern and protect us. They also learn about the responsibilities of citizens and the consequences when laws are broken. Our Mini-Police serve as excellent ambassadors for our school and promote the role that the police play in maintaining law and order.  

Individual Liberty  

Pupils are encouraged to make choices - knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment.  

We are a Rights Respecting School – we put children’s rights at the heart of our school life. The UNICEF Rights of the Child are central to how we relate to each other. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these freedoms safely through, for example, our e-Safety and PSHE lessons.  

We act as role models to ensure our pupils respect everyone equally and are aware of the nine protected characteristics in an age-appropriate way. We respect all differences including race, age, religion and beliefs, gender, disability, sexual orientation, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity. 

Mutual Respect 

Westgate Hill Primary Academy is a fantastic, culturally diverse school with a highly-regarded inclusive ethos and practice. We celebrate how amazingly multi-cultural  our school is. Our children are taught and know how to show respect to everyone, no matter what the differences between us may be. We build this diversity into our curriculum by, for example, celebrating different religious festivals throughout the year. Each year we hold an Eid celebration in school, where parents are invited into school to celebrate with staff and children.  

Tolerance of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs 

Our RE curriculum reinforces an understanding of other religions and cultures. This understanding is also developed through assemblies, where we share multi-faith celebrations including Easter, Diwali and Eid.