Children, parents and staff have many opportunities for their voices to be heard at our school; democracy is central to how we operate.
An obvious example is our School Council. The election of the School Council members reflects our British electoral system and demonstrates democracy in action: candidates make speeches, pupils consider characteristics important for an elected representative and then pupils vote in secret.  Made up of one representative from each class, the School Council meets regularly to discuss issues raised by the different classes. The council has its own budget and is able to effect change within the school; for example, in the past, the School Council has helped to provide equipment for our school grounds as selected by the children. Recently they were also involved in designing our new sensory garden with a community gardener from Alnwick Gardens.  The Council are also actively involved in providing teachers with feedback about their school.

Another example of ‘pupil voice’ is through our Eco Ambassadors. These children are also elected by their peers each year and work to improve and care for the school environment.

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. This forms one of our core alien characters, Respectful Ray. We encourage pupils to take ownership of not only their school but also of their own learning and progress. This encourages a heightened sense of both personal and social responsibility and is demonstrated on a daily basis by our pupils.

Parents’ opinions are welcomed at Regent Farm through methods such as questionnaires, surveys at parents’ evenings and opportunities to comment on whole school matters. The Head Teacher is also on the yard most days if parents wish to speak to her about any matters.

• School Vision and Aims
• Behaviour Policy and Reach for the Stars
• Display of class rules
• Playground rules and Buddies
• Lunchtime rules
• Curriculum links

The importance of rules and laws, whether they be those that govern our school or our country, are referred to and reinforced often, such as in assemblies and when reflecting on behaviour choices. At the start of the school year, each class discusses the school rules and class routines. This ensures that every class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. These rules play a fundamental role in our behaviour sanctions and rewards and are linked to our Reach for the Stars system in school.

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. These values are reinforced in different ways:

• Visits from authorities such as the police and fire service.
• Cycling Proficiency lessons enable children to understand the rules of the road and the potential dangers encountered should they break those rules.
• During Religious Education, when rules for particular faiths are thought about.
• During other school subjects, where there is respect and appreciation for different rules.
• Through teaching children an understanding of human rights, in particular the UNICEF rights of the child.

• School Vision and Aims
• Behaviour policy
• PSHE policy
• Displays of children’s activities
• Children’s key roles and responsibilities
• Curriculum and topic concepts.

Alongside rules and laws, we promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Through the provision of a safe, supportive environment, we provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely; for example:

• Choices about how they can improve their learning through warm and cold feedback.
• Choices around the participation in extra-curricular activities.

 Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely, such as in our PSHE lessons.

Teaching the children how to manage and understand emotions will also allow them to be motivated and equipped to:

• Be effective and successful learners.
• Make and sustain friendships.
• Deal with and resolve conflict evenly and fairly.
• Solve problems with others by themselves.
• Manage strong feelings such as frustration, anger or anxiety.
• Be able to promote calm and optimistic states that promote the achievement of goals.
• Recover from setbacks and persist in the face of difficulties.
• Work and play cooperatively.
• Compete fairly and win or lose with dignity and respect for all competitors.
• Recognise and stand up for their rights and the rights of others.
• Understand the value the differences and commonalities between people, respecting the rights of others to have beliefs and values different to their own.
• To respect and value our world, and the things, both material and alive that exist within it.

Children in Year 4 are given key roles and responsibilities such as Play Buddies and Reading Buddies. Through opportunities such as our extra-curricular and Lunch Time clubs, Golden Time and Residential Trips, pupils are also given the freedom to make safe choices.

• School Vision and Aims
• Behaviour policy
• PSHE and RSE policy
• Roles and Responsibilities
• Display of children’s activities
• Display of alien values around school

We have high expectations of achievement and behaviour. Children and staff are polite and kind. We believe everyone has their own special gifts and we are expected to use them. The children in our ARP are fully integrated in mainstream lessons and our classrooms are inclusive to any child’s needs.

We listen and respect each other. We teach the children that conflict will be dealt with calmly and fairly. All members of the school family are valued equally. We celebrate lunch time behaviour and taking care of our school environment through our Eco Stars and School Council. We celebrate each other’s achievements whether that be in or out of school through class discussions and our weekly Celebration Assemblies.

Teachers plan exciting, interesting, challenging and innovative lessons where everybody is expected to do their best and respect others.

When our older children are given key roles and responsibilities to work alongside younger children this helps to promote mutual respect across the age phases e.g. Reading buddies and Playground Buddies.

• School Vision and Aims
• PSHE and RSE policy
• Work with the Community Reverend
• Trips to local places of worship for different religions
• Alternative faith work as part of the RSE curriculum coverage

Regent Farm First School are proud to promote and celebrate our different backgrounds and beliefs. Tolerance, politeness and mutual respect are at the heart of our aims, ethos and RSE Curriculum. 

Our aim to 'prepare children for their future' drives us towards ensuring that our pupils are able to live and work alongside people from all backgrounds and cultures. This will be particularly necessary in a future where technological advances will make the 'world a smaller place.'

Our pupils know and understand that respect is shown to everyone and to everything, whatever differences we may have. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community are encouraged to treat each other with respect.

 Specific examples of how we enhance pupils’ understanding and respect for different faiths and beliefs are:

• Through Religious Education, PSHE and other lessons where we develop awareness and appreciation of other cultures – in English through fiction and in art and music by considering cultures from other parts of the world.
• Celebrating cultural differences through assemblies, themed weeks, noticeboards and displays.
• Through our core value alien ‘Respectful Ray’.

• Children are encouraged to share their own experiences when celebrating their own faith. Daily worship reflects and teaches the children tolerance for different faiths and beliefs. Activities within school support both children and adults of different or no faith, the children are taught respect and tolerance of these groups and the opinions of the groups are considered with all activities. Additionally, equality and diversity work give children the opportunity to enhance their understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society.

Whilst instances contrary to our values are relatively rare, each is treated seriously in line with our policies and expectations.