British Values - Pride, Democracy, Freedom...

What does it mean to be British? When asking a group of teenagers, the responses range from fish and chips to Britain's Got Talent. In fact, when asking my Slovakian learners the other day, they said "trees, there are trees everywhere!" Other responses included the Queen, Simon Cowell? and One Direction!


However, British Values is all about promoting tolerance of religion and beliefs, pride, freedom of expression, rights to vote, the right to have a voice, respect, equality, democracy and liberty. Learners should always have opportunities to explore these areas. It could also cover British culture and this may encourage learners to appreciate the country where they live.






However, what does it mean when it comes to the delivery of English and significantly when teaching and learning is involved? Indeed, it is now on the radar for OFSTED inspections and teachers must be embedding this into their sessions. At first, I struggled to work out how to fit this into my lessons but on further thought, this is done anyway without thinking about it.



Some examples of this are:

- Learners being treated equally in the classroom with equal opportunities being provided at all times.
- Behavior - making sure learners know what is right and what is wrong.
- Respect for each other and for their tutors.
- Making positive contributions in British society in regard to community and work.
- Encouraging learners to be proud of their work and achievements.

For English sessions, there are a few examples which could be used as session topics:

• Speaking and listening topics - the law (law changes), the Monarchy
• Reading comprehension based on law changes
• Views and opinions about our NHS -producing supportive letters
• Case studies - distinguishing right from wrong and offering advice
• Reading about the Monarchy - writing articles and researching its importance to the UK
• Exploring freedom in the UK and producing presentations (freedom to vote, freedom to practice religion etc).