"Pupils are provided with platforms to express themselves. They have the chance to step into leadership roles and make meaningful contributions to the school life. They represent their peers, help to develop their school and support charitable causes."  (SIAMS 2024)

Pupil voice plays a big part in life at Himbleton and all pupils have a voice that is listened to, valued and responded to.  Children are taught to listen carefully to each other, value the thoughts of others and to challenge respectfully when their opinions differ.   

In addition, democracy is actively demonstrated and promoted through democratic processes, such as the election of pupil parliament members by class peers and the nomination of half-termly values' winners.  The school's head girl and head boy go through a rigorous application and interview process to ensure equality of opportunity and fairness and children contribute to the way that the curriculum is shaped through meetings with curriculum leads and questionnaires throughout the year.

Within the PSHE curriculum, children are taught the values of citizenship and how choices can be
made to support the needs of all people.  Daily acts of worship introduce a greater understanding of the meaning of democracy through exploration of Bible stories, prominent figures and key events in history.

The importance of laws, both in school and in the wider world in which we live, is constantly reinforced throughout life in school.  As with all schools, Himbleton has rules which children are expected to follow in class and around the school and children are taught about the impact and consequences of their actions if they choose to break these rules and to take responsibility for these, as well as the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards that motivate children to make good choices.  Through the curriculum, they are also taught to understand how laws and rules protect us, and visits from services such as the Fire Service, Police and Armed Forces reinforce this message.

Our PSHE curriculum further reinforces children's understanding of the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups and helps them to learn how to be good citizens in the world.  In addition, they learn about different kinds of rights and responsibilities at home, school and in the community.  In Religious Education lessons there are opportunities to debate and discuss the reasons for laws so that pupils recognise the importance of these for their own protection.  Our worship sessions explore issues and situations that have taken place in history or biblical stories which exemplify when laws have been broken down or are unjust.

Within structured and unstructured sessions at school, children are supported to make appropriate choices, knowing that they are in a safe environment.  They 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 Online Safety and PSHE lessons.  As a result, elements of choice are deliberately planned throughout the curriculum which help children understand how to make their own choices, develop independence and self-esteem and to respect others, all skills that are needed in the wider world.

"... an unmistakable atmosphere of inclusivity and compassion." (SIAMS 2024)

At Himbleton, children are taught to be respectful and to positively encourage each other, regardless of differences between them.  By living out the Christian values of Friendship, Truthfulness, Courage, Perseverance, Forgiveness and Respect, children learn how to work co-operatively with each other in and out of class and to listen respectfully to each other’s opinions, learning about anti-discriminatory practices, including those relating to bullying and racism.

Through the curriculum, including PSHE lessons, daily worship and history, children explore what respect means and are given opportunities to identify events in the past which have not been positive examples of others showing respect or demonstrating British Values.

In our school, each person is respected and valued equally regardless of ability, gender, faith, disability, heritage or race.  Through our curriculum we strive to teach and demonstrate tolerance and help children become knowledgeable and understanding citizens who can build a better Britain for the future.  In RE lessons, children learn about the religions, cultures and the faiths of others, aspects of which are further explored during collective worship sessions based on themes of tolerance and understanding, either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures.