The foundation of our provision
British values, lived every day, not taught once a term
The five values that shape every lesson, every corridor conversation, every quiet moment of encouragement and every shared breakthrough. They are the living framework through which we teach, relate and grow together.
For every learner
A shared framework
British Values are at the centre of the Cumbers House curriculum and are embedded across every curriculum area and every pathway. They are not a standalone lesson; they are the value framework through which we teach, relate, and operate as a school community.
The five British Values are: Democracy; the Rule of Law; Individual Liberty; Mutual Respect; and Tolerance of those with Different Faiths and Beliefs. Cumbers House serves young people from local authorities across England and Wales. British Values provide a shared, meaningful framework that is relevant to every learner regardless of their home authority, background, or cultural heritage.
No learner is expected to identify with any particular regional or national cultural identity as a condition of accessing our curriculum, or as an assessed learning objective.
Plenty of what we do is flexible and responsive. These five values are not. They run through every lesson, every policy and every pupil's day.
Fiona Conde
Head of Education
VALUE 01
Democracy
Every learner has a voice that matters. At Cumbers House, learners participate in decisions about their school life, their learning and their future through individual education plan reviews, learner voice, and the school council. Alongside this lived experience, we teach what democracy means and how it works, locally, nationally, and internationally. In Humanities and Society, learners explore how democracy operates in the UK, covering Parliament, devolved governments, elections and civic participation; in Communication and Literacy they practise structured debate and discussion; and in Personal Development their own voice is heard, shaped, and acted upon through the individual education plan review process.
VALUE 02
The rule of law
We operate within a clear, consistent, and fair framework of expectations. Learners come to understand that rules and laws exist to protect people, including themselves, and that they hold rights as well as responsibilities. The school’s behaviour and relationships approach is explicit and transparent, so the same principles a learner meets in the wider world are visible in the rhythm of every day here. In Personal Development, learners explore rights, responsibilities and the reasons rules exist; Humanities and Society examines law and justice in the UK, human rights and the UNCRC; and Communication and Literacy invites them to write persuasively on rights and civic issues.
VALUE 03
Individual liberty
Every learner has the right to make choices, express their identity, and pursue their own aspirations, within the safe boundaries of the school community. We actively support learners to understand their rights, advocate for themselves, and develop the independence to live the life they choose. This belief shapes practice across the curriculum: individual education plan-centred planning in every area respects individual choices and aspirations; Personal Development focuses on self-advocacy, self-determination and understanding personal rights; and in Pathway 4, Preparing for Adulthood becomes a deliberate, practical expression of individual liberty.
VALUE 04
Mutual respect
We treat every person in our school community with dignity and genuine respect, and we expect this in return. Mutual respect is modelled in every interaction and explicitly taught and practised through PSHE and RSE; our trauma-informed relational model is itself an expression of mutual respect in action. Personal Development and Wellbeing addresses relationships, communication and respect in depth; Physical Education builds fair play and respect through team activity; and across every curriculum area, the school’s relational model quietly embeds mutual respect in the way adults and learners speak with one another.
VALUE 05
Tolerance of differences
Our learners come from many different backgrounds; different regions, cultures, families, and life experiences. We celebrate this diversity and actively teach that difference is a source of strength. We challenge prejudice whenever it appears and promote genuine understanding of different faiths, cultures, and world views, including those represented in our local community. Humanities and Society explores Religion, Values and Ethics, world cultures, and diversity in the UK and globally; Communication and Literacy offers a deliberately diverse reading list including authors from a wide range of cultural backgrounds; and Personal Development examines identity, difference and belonging as part of growing up well.