Values Curriculum & DIVERSITY Days at Selby High School

At Selby High School we really value the importance of equipping our students with the knowledge, skills & attributes to function as a successful citizen in a modern day World. With this in mind, Diversity Days have been introduced to supplement our Values Curriculum provision. The Values Curriculum addresses 5 key themes which we believe are key to the personal development of our students:

  • Identity, Equality & Diversity: Understanding diversity, showing tolerance and preventing bullying
  • RSE: Relationships and Sex Education
  • Future Aspirations: Promoting decision-making, exploring skills and qualities, and self-management
  • Active Citizenship: Being a responsible citizen, community values and respecting human rights
  • Health and Well-being: Understanding the importance of good physical, mental, social & emotional well-being

For more details on each of these themes, please refer to our Values Curriculum Map below:  

VALUES CURRICULUM MAP

Embracing diversity; Unlocking potential; Inspiring learning 

The Values Curriculum is where students learn valuable knowledge, personal skills & etiquettes that they will need to succeed as a respectful, active citizen in a modern World. Students will develop a sense of personal responsibility and to develop an appreciation of the diverse society in which they live. They will also gain an understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, and staying safe. The Values Curriculum is delivered across school under 5 key themes: Identity, equality and diversity; RSE: Relationships and Sex Education; Future aspirations; Active citizenship; Health and wellbeing. 

Life Development Curriculum  Subject Areas Pastoral: Assembly & Form Time Themes Whole School Ethos & Drop Down Days
Identity, Equality and Diversity: Understanding diversity, showing tolerance and preventing bullying
  • Valuing diversity, promoting tolerance of religion and faith as well as none, British Values, tackling prejudice and discrimination.
  • Recognising and challenging extremism including challenging hate incidents and recognising signs of radicalisation
  • Understanding and appreciation of different religions and cultures.
  • Preventing bullying and giving students strategies in relation to how to deal with these issues as well as in and out of school sign-posting.
  • Art – Historical & contemporary issues.
  • Drama – Personal responsibility & bullying. Y7 Bullying (verbal & cyberbullying and cause & effect are analysed through a wide variety of drama conventions and techniques), Y7 Humpty Dumpty (play text which deals with Bullying and the serious consequences of it), Y7 Non-Naturalism (Bullying/ self-worth lessons included).
  • English – Literature which focuses on identity, equality & diversity with prominent themes & issues including the experiences of women, LGBT, black & ethnic minority backgrounds. Y7: Iqbal, Me and My World Autobiography, The Tempest. Y8 Sherlock Holmes, Slam Poetry, Victorian Literature. Y9 Gothic and Macbeth (representation of women), Of Mice and Men, Identity and Voice non-fiction and fiction, WW1 poetry
  • Geography – Population studies & global inequalities.
  • History – WWI & WWII, modern conflicts & genocides. Holocaust survivor talks. Belgium Battlefields visit.
  • Media – Hegemony vs diversity – representations of men/women/different ethnicities.
  • Music – Respecting music from other cultures.
  • PE – Equality of sporting provision for both girls and boys within PE and games lessons. Reducing gender bias. GCSE PE - Olympic values through GCSE PE and Sports Studies, 1936 Jesse Owens Olympics - Black power salute Mexico 1968. Campaigns in sport eg. Football – Show racism the red card, Rainbow laces, This girl can.
  • RE – Beliefs, responsibility, power, suffering, war & peace.
  • Tech – Designing for different cultures. Special diets & cuisines of different cultures.
  • Spanish – Tolerance themes & bullying covered within Spanish topics. Individual differences.
  • Sociology - Considering how human beings acquire their identity.
  • Embracing diversity & the School Tolerance Pledge.
  • International Day for Tolerance.
  • Anti-bullying week & the School No Bystanders Approach.
  • Human Rights Day.
  • Holocaust Commemoration.
  • World Religion Day.
  • I am me – Get over it! (LGBT).
  • Elimination of racial discrimination.
  • Black history month.
  • The true meaning of Christmas.
  • Ending slavery: An unfinished business.
  • LGBT+ history month.
  • Women’s history month.
  • VE day – remembering the past.
  • Looking at friendship in other religions.
  • School vision and aims “Embracing diversity”.
  • Positive behaviour for learning policy and school rules.
  • Tolerance Pledge.
  • No Bystanders approach.
  • Anti-bullying policy.
  • Stonewall Schools.
  • Student Leadership including Student Voice & Student Champions.
  • House system.
  • Thought for the day.
RSE: Relationships and Sex Education
  • Staying safe in a range of situations.
  • Understanding relationships.
  • Recognising the importance of family.
  • Understanding the law in relation to sex and relationships including the age of consent.
  • Understanding healthy relationships, where and how to access advice and support.
  • English – RSE themes explored through text choices & debates. Slam poetry.
  • Drama – Issues surrounding relationships.
  • Maths – Statistical analysis.
  • Geography – Population policies, birth control & changing population structures. China – one child policy.
  • History - Changing role of women and families e.g. Victorian ideals of femininity, Changing role / view of marriage, divorce and parenting (Henry VIII, rules of inheritance and succession).
  • Media – Archers storyline, male-gaze theory, gender expectations, culture differences (Pride magazine).
  • RE – Religion & relationships.
  • Science – Pathogens - HIV and gonorrhea, menstrual cycle, fertilization, development of foetus and health in pregnancy, contraception choices - knowledge of reproductive system and choices. PE - Managing emotions through sport and competition. Not losing your head when you lose. Working with team mates through empathy and support. Poor language is challenged to reduce derogatory comments. Alternative changing facilities for pupils that feel they need it.
  • ICT – Yr 7 e-safety.
  • Spanish – Marriage, relationships, ideal partners. Family and friend relationships.
  • Sociology - What is a family?, ethnic minority family forms, global family forms including polygamy, changes in social norms, secularisation, values and laws, feminism, economic factors, technology and their impact on segregated and joint conjugal roles, symmetrical families, domestic division of labour, child-rearing patterns and child-centred families.
  • Expectations of friendship.
  • Respect & love.
  • International Day of Families.
  • Drop-down day SRE Day.
  • Drop-down day Y10 Inside Out (Invisible Man Theatre company).
Future Aspirations: Promoting decision making, exploring skills and qualities and self-management 
  • Making informed career choices.
  • Identifying and recognising the qualities required to achieve goals and become a resilient individual.
  • Understanding personal finance in relation to debt and debt management.
  • Reflecting on the benefit of universal credit.
  • World class examples within lessons to develop aspirations & cultural capital.
  • English – ‘Let’s think in English’ cognitive acceleration programme. ‘Talk the talk’ workshop (Yr 9). Accelerated Reader for KS3.
  • Maths – Lots of problem solving and inquiry based challenges.
  • Science – Lessons linked to careers in Science & real-life scenarios.
  • Art – Fine Art & Art photography options available.
  • Drama – Shakespeare Schools festival & School productions.
  • Geography – Decision-making & selfmanagement. Geography fieldwork inquiries (Yr 10).
  • ICT - Developing knowledge, skills & aspirations to function in modern day society. Discussions around world of work & skills/qualities of successful entrepreneurs.
  • Maths – Lego League, student investor, Maths challenge & Number day.
  • Media – Emmerdale, BBC Studios tour, guest speakers.
  • Music – School productions & concerts. Resilience through musical tasks.
  • PE – Developing an awareness & appreciation of personal strengths & limitations. A number of valuable life skills are developed through PE lessons. ‘Active life skills programme’. Sports Leadership opportunities available.
  • Tech – Influential designers & leaders in the field. Masterchef display.
  • Unlocking potential – attendance matters.
  • Inspiring learning.
  • Resolute in your resolutions.
  • The importance of Literacy.
  • The importance of Science & the Arts.
  • Careers (Yr 11).
  • College, sixth form visits & apprenticeships (Yr 11).
  • University of Law (Yr 11).
  • Royal Marines (Yr 11).
  • World book day.
  • Options assembly.
  • School vision and aims “Unlocking potential & Inspiring learning”.
  • Selby keys to success.
  • Teaching & Learning Strategy.
  • Literacy Strategy.
  • Young Enterprise.
  • Year 10 work experience.
  • Independent careers advice.
  • Year 9 Enrichment programme.
  • Off-site visits and residentials.
  • Drop-down day - Year 7 Enterprise Day
  • Drop-down day - Year 8 Enterprise Day
Active Citizenship: Being a responsible citizen, community values and respecting human rights
  • How to be a responsible citizen.
  • Recognising the importance of community and an individual role within it.
  • Developing respect for a range of cultures.
  • Understanding and respecting human rights.
  • Understanding where such beliefs come from with reference to differing religious beliefs.
  • Art – Themes around everyday issues, life & social awareness. Briefs on local contexts & reallife scenarios.
  • Drama – Investigating moral issues raised through technological advances. Contextual influences on social justice. Y8 Issue based drama 'Youth Crime'. GCSE-The Columbine Massacre (examining the true story and the effects on those involved).
  • English – Active citizenship explored through text choices & representations of people. Impact of social media, identity, social responsibility & conflict.
  • Science - Carbon footprint, food security, plastic use and disposal, renewable energy, food miles, life cycle assessment of products, bio accumulation.
  • Geography – Real world scenarios eg. Brexit & the importance of Geography in everyday life eg. plastic pollution. Climate change & individual responsibilities.
  • Media – Mock elections, Left/right ideologies in newspapers, representation of societal dangers by the media.
  • History – topics relating to current events & encouraging debate. Magna Carta; feudalism; monarchy v Parliament; suffrage; WWII and holocaust linking to recent conflict and genocides; decision making e.g. atomic bomb, involvement in more recent conflicts & terrorism; UN Human Rights; slavery and exploitation from Africa to modern British. Selby cemetery project.
  • PE – Good sportsmanship, fair play & showing respect to others. Competitions & fixtures. Behaviour as part of a large crowd. Participation off-site eg. Yr 11 Leisure afternoon – expectations.
  • RE – Crime & punishment.
  • Sociology – Values of different societies & the role of individuals.
  • Tech – Fairtrade 6 R’s. Recycling, sustainability & renewable resources. Material choices. Carbon footprints.
  • ICT - Environmental impacts, discrimination. Year 7 – E-safety, legislation and security. Viruses/hacking.
  • Spanish – Global issues, volunteering & charity work.
  • Sociology - Social structures and their influence on human behaviour. Enrichment block – Charity enterprise, catering. Resilience in learning new skills.
  • Remembrance Day.
  • House Charities.
  • One World Week & Christmas toy Appeal.
  • Human Rights Day.
  • Global citizenship.
  • Nuclear weapons & the impact on international relations.
  • Hunger in a World of plenty.
  • World Day of Social Justice.
  • Beat plastic pollution.
  • Honesty is the best policy.
  • Freedom & liberty.
  • National Parliament week.
  • Rewards assemblies.
  • Democracy and tolerance.
  • Fair trade fortnight.
  • Climate change/World Science week.
  • Police – relevant focus.
  • Head boy/Head girl candidate speeches.
  • My money week.
  • House system.
  • Behaviour for learning strategy.
  • SMSC Awards & House colours.
  • The Selby Challenge to promote participation.
  • Rewards strategy.
  • Student Voice, including Student Council & Year Group Councils.
  • Student Champions, including Head Students, House Captains, Sports Captains & Prefects.
  • Your Voice magazine.
  • House charities.
  • Activity Week.
  • Extra-curricular programme.
  • Drop-down day – Y9 Prison? Me? No way!
Health and Wellbeing
  • Developing strategies for staying safe in a range of situation including online safety.
  • Reflecting on the impact of the media in relation to the self.
  • Using social media responsibly.
  • Developing strategies to selfmanage mental health and well-being including stress and anxiety.
  • Making informed choices and understanding the impact of substance misuse, physically and mentally.
  • Art – Pieces around self-image & emotions.
  • Drama – Youth crime, gang culture, ‘Let him have it’ – knife crime – Colorado High School. Mental health used as a stimulus.
  • English – Risk, consequences & blame (Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, An inspector calls).
  • Geography – Food inequality, management & the importance of a balanced diet.
  • History – Propaganda, Britain’s Health and People (NHS, lifestyle choices, history of major medical issues and consequence today such as genetic testing).
  • ICT – Risk vs. reward, units on health & health issues regarding computers.
  • Media – ‘This girl can’ campaign. Positive/negative media representations & impacts.
  • PE – The importance of exercise, fitness training & balanced diets. Fitness room & fitness-based activities such as gym exercises, Zumba, yoga, training programmes.
  • Tech – Healthy eating, H&S regulations and personal hygiene.
  • Spanish – Health topics including diet, smoking, drinking & drugs.
  • Science – Drugs & alcohol, safety around chemicals, electricity, pathogens etc., diet & lifestyle, transmission of diseases.
  • World Mental Health Day.
  • Safer Internet Day & social media.
  • The importance of SEMH.
  • Emotional Literacy.
  • Revision approaches (Yr 11).
  • Supporting good mental health.
  • Random acts of kindness.
  • Healthy schools.
  • Mental health awareness week.
  • Wellbeing Award for Schools.
  • KS3 & KS4 Well-being Councils.
  • Student Well-being Ambassadors.
  • Mental health section of school website.
  • Healthy Schools strategy.
  • SEMH strategy.
  • Home/School Agreement, including ICT code of conduct.
  • Relaxation club.
  • Emotional well-being drop-ins with School Social Worker.
  • Drop-down day – Y8 Mental Health Awareness Day.
  • Drop-down day – Y9 YOLO (Invisible Man Theatre company).
  • Drop-down day – Y11 Positively Mad.

Diversity days

The aim of Diversity Days are to:

  • Build on our current Values Curriculum provision in school;
  • Continue to improve the personal development of students;
  • Streamline a lot of our existing provision to reduce the impact on lessons;
  • Enable students to see that the Values Curriculum permeates through the entire school curriculum and is not just limited to assemblies or Life Development lessons.

What will Diversity Days look like?

There will be 3 Diversity Days throughout the school year and this will involve the whole school following a collapsed timetable for the day – a ‘stop the clock’ day. Students in each year group will follow a programme of alternative themed lessons to address specific elements of our values curriculum in greater depth. The table below shows our Diversity Days for 2023:

Term 1 Term 2  Term 3 
Wednesday 8th November Wednesday 13th March Wednesday 3rd July
Year 7 Oracy Day (Future Aspirations) Numeracy Bonanza + Selby Abbey (Future Aspirations + Identity, Equality & Diversity) Enterprise Day (Future Aspirations)
Year 8

SEMH or STEM (Personal Health & Well-being)

Enterprise Day (Future Aspirations)

RSHE Day (+ Identity, Equality & Diversity)

Year 9

YOLO Theatre + Ebacc Carousel (Personal Health & Well-being + Future Aspirations)

RSHE Day (+ Identity, Equality & Diversity)

Prison! Me! No Way! (Active Citizenship + Personal Health & Well-being)

Year 10

RSHE Day  (+ Identity, Equality & Diversity)

Inside/Out Theatre (Physical And Mental Well-being)

Speed Networking + Dreams and Ambitions (Future Aspirations)

Year 11

Mock Interviews + Exam Stress Busters (Future Aspirations + Personal Health & Well-being)

Speed Networking + LD Input (Future Aspirations + Identity, Equality & Diversity)

 N/A

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BRITISH VALUES WITHIN THE CURRICULUM

As part of the Values Curriculum, and alongside our responsibility to promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development of students at the school, Selby High School actively promotes British values.
Through our values, systems and curriculum we promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect for and tolerance of those different faiths and beliefs and for those without faith.

We aim to ensure that our students become fully prepared for life in modern Britain and leave school as well-rounded members of society who treat others with respect and tolerance, regardless of background and belief.

As part of our approach to British Values we take very seriously our public sector equality duty (s.149 of the Equality Act 2010) which requires us to have due regard of the need to:

  • eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under that Act;
  • advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
  • foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

How are British Values at the heart of what we do?

The British Values we explore are:

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

As a school we aim to develop and nurture these by:

  • Delivering a vibrant and engaging assembly programme with British Values, diversity and an ethical approach at its heart.
  • Delivering a well-structured Values Curriculum which addresses all of the requirements of the programmes of study (looking at Democracy, Freedom, the rule of law, Human Rights and responsibilities). We ensure that principles are actively promoted which will:
    • enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
    • enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England
    • encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely
    • enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England
    • encourage further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
    • encourage respect for other people, paying particular regard to the protected characteristics set out in the Equality Act 2010; and
  • encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England
  • provide a varied Life Development programme at every Key Stage.
  • provide an effective and well-managed range of student leadership roles and School Councils, enabling students to actively participate in the democratic process.
  • offer a broad and balanced curriculum which addresses many of these core values
    across a range of subject areas.
  • provide a clearly communicated and consistently applied Positive Behaviour for Learning policy so that students understand what is expected of them.
  • encourage charity work organised by the School Council, and within year groups offer a wide range of educational visits.
  • provide regular advice on online safety to all students, staff and parents at Selby High School.

British Values and the Prevent Duty

At Selby High School, we strongly believe that a carefully structured approach to delivering British Values, supported by a culture that encourages students to ask questions and be engaged in quality discussion of the issues, is an important part of the school’s approach to the Prevent duty. Our approach to teaching British Values, alongside our Tolerance Pledge, encourages all stakeholders in the school to challenge extremism, prejudice and intolerance.