At Nelson we focus on both academic progress and the development of the core values needed to be a successful and valuable member of our society.
We consider all children as individual people and citizens and believe in educating the children in our care to be good citizens and aim to develop the skills they need to have a successful and productive life.
We celebrate the immense cultural diversity in our school and community through visits, assemblies and more whilst holding in the centre of that what it is to be a British citizen. We provide a broad and balanced PSHE, Citizenship, RE and SMSC curriculum which explicitly teaches the children the importance of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths.
Democracy
Democracy is embedded at the school. Pupils are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully and with concern to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. Pupils also have the opportunity to air their opinions and ideas through our School Council meetings. The elections of the school Crew Captains, Council members, and Eco Stars are based solely on pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout our school day, through our school assemblies and also when dealing with behaviour in school. We encourage our pupils to distinguish right from wrong and help pupils to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals. Our pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from the Police, Fire Service etc. also help to reinforce our messages.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering education. We support pupils to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence. Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely; examples of this can be clearly seen in our e-safety and PSHE lessons.
Mutual Respect
At the heart of our whole school ethos is a commitment to our school Values – a set of core attitudes that we believe contribute to individuals being able to live happy and successful lives within the communities to which they belong. Each monthly value is chosen to underpin the need for mutual respect between our pupils and their peers, staff, their families and their wider community. Our Values are taught through assemblies and PSHE sessions and form a key part of our daily dialogue across school. Respect is promoted across school and it is deeply embedded in all that we do at the school. The pupils know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have and to everything, however big or small. Our school frequently participates in learning activities which promote mutual respect including our Harvest Festival which we invite local leaders from a range of backgrounds to attend, including local religious leaders, council representatives, our school linked police officer, local head teachers and previous teachers from Nelson.
A very wide range of extra-curricular clubs are offered both at lunchtime and after the school day. These clubs provide another opportunity for mutual respect to be secured in the attitudes of our pupils, both amongst those participating from their own setting, and any visiting staff or teams.
Tolerance of Those With Different Faiths And Beliefs
Our core value of Respect ensures tolerance of those who have different faiths and beliefs. Nelson School enhances pupils understanding of different faiths and beliefs through religious education studies, including visits to local places of worship, PSHE work and enjoying a depth of study about other cultures and belief systems during Global week.