How to promote British values across your school

Get tips on how best to incorporate British values into your school, both through the curriculum and holistically through your wider culture, vision and ethos. Download our list of questions to help you review your current approach.

Last reviewed on 10 May 2023
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 11221
Contents
  1. Your requirements
  2. How Ofsted will inspect this 
  3. Review what you’re currently doing
  4. Make British values part of your culture, ethos and vision

This article was written with help from our associate education experts, Bill Bolloten and Sue Rogers.

Your requirements

All schools are expected to provide opportunities for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of their pupils.

As part of this, you should promote “fundamental British values”. The DfE define these values as:

  • Democracy
  • The rule of law
  • Individual liberty
  • Mutual respect for and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs

These are explained in more detail in the DfE’s non-statutory guidance on promoting fundamental British values.

Extra requirements apply to independent schools 

As well as the expectations outlined above, independent schools must also: 

  • Prevent the promotion of partisan political views in the teaching of any subject in the school
  • Take steps to ensure that, where political issues are brought to the attention of pupils, the pupils are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views

How