Our Values

Benenden Church of England Primary School seeks to live out the values of Jesus Christ.   The following Christian values that link centrally to the story of 'The Good Shepherd' to help us remember them. Within the parable, they follow this order:

 

• Curiosity
  ,
  Curiosity

  ,

• Compassion
  Compassion

• Courage
  Courage

• Commitment
  Commitment

  Curiosity

In John 10, Jesus is the Good Shepherd who allows his sheep to go in and out of the pen to be curious about the world. We must ask questions about the world around us and be curious in all that we do, so that we reflect God in our actions and choices.

Compassion

The Good Shepherd shows us compassion in how he looks after us and gave His life for us. We must do the same for others.

 

   Courage

Jesus showed courage in how he gave his life for us and showed us how to live. We must develop this same courage to be the best individuals we can be.

 

  Commitment

Jesus was committed to his Father and us in the way he was on Earth. We must be committed to our learning, friendships and challenges, to reflect God in all we do. 

At Benenden, we also promote the following fundamental British values:

• Liberty
  Liberty

• Justice & Law
  Justice & Law

• Democracy
  Democracy

• Mutual Respect
  Mutual Respect

• Tolerance
  Tolerance

  Of different cultures & beliefs

Justice & the Law

• an understanding of how citizens can influence decision-making through the democratic process;
• an appreciation that living under the rule of law protects individual citizens and is essential for their wellbeing and safety;
• an understanding that there is a separation of power between the executive and the judiciary, and that while some public bodies such as the police and the army can be held to account through Parliament, others such as the courts maintain independence;
• an understanding that the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law;
• an acceptance that other people having different faiths or beliefs to oneself (or having none) should be accepted and tolerated, and should not be the cause of prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour; and
• an understanding of the importance of identifying and combatting discrimination.

Democracy

• Having a school council;
• Highlighting the development of democratic ideas in history lessons;
• Allowing pupils to vote in a range of situations linked to school life e.g. classes selecting a charity they wish to support via a class ballot;
• Ensuring all pupils are listened to by adults;
• Inviting MPs and other speakers to the school;
• Holding mock elections.                                                                 

The Rule of Law

• The whole school creating taking a Pride in their school and how that works inconjunction with school rules.
• Having a clear behaviour policy that is explained to all;
• Highlighting the rules of the Church and God in the RE curriculum, for example the 10 commandments and the Precepts of the Church.  

Personal Responsibility and Individual Liberty

• Encouraging children to be independent in their learning;
• Providing children with opportunities for reflection. 

Mutual respect

• Having a mission statement that is inclusive;
• Constantly promoting respect for others as good manners;
• Reinforcing the value of everyone’s opinions in class discussions;
• Having an effective anti-bullying policy;
• Emphasising in RE and PSHE lessons that every person is unique and “created in the image of God”;
• Having active educational links with other schools;
• Supporting charitable works. 

Tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

• Highlight how Religious Education provides pupils with a deep understanding of their own faith as well as awareness of the faith and traditions of other religious communities as a basis for understanding and respecting them;
• Show how Jesus encouraged tolerance in stories such as The Good Samaritan and The Women at the Well.