Why so many settings are getting it wrong
Ofsted have placed a high importance on ensuring all early years settings are promoting British Values, yet very few practitioners and managers really understand the true concept of these. Many early years practitioners think about British values and what being British means to them and in return the children are taught about all typically British objects such as the big Ben, the British flag, London, fish and chips and the Queen.
Although these are iconic British objects they are not British Values. Without having an understanding of what British values mean it is impossible to correctly share this with the children. Ofsted will want to see evidence that your setting is promoting British Values on a daily basis with all age ranges so a display board as lovely as it may look will not be promoting British Values. The key element to concentrate on is the whole phrase ‘British Values’ whereas it would appear so many practitioners are reading and hearing ‘British’ and then sharing the wrong knowledge with the children and the setting and therefore not meeting Ofsted regulations.
Why practitioners do not understand British Values
Practitioners are failing to understand what is meant by the term British Values because it is a new term however it is not a new concept.All practitioners should receive training around what the term ‘British Values’ really means. Every practitioner will then understand and be able to successfully promote these to the children and explain to Ofsted or anyone else exactly how they are promoted. Receiving some form of training around these values should be incorporated into all practitioners continuing professional development in order for a setting to achieve outstanding and to be promoting best practice.
How you should be promoting these values
The British values that early years settings should be promoting are: Rule of Law, Democracy, Individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance. These terms seem complex and many have no understanding of what they mean however these British values happen throughout the course of the day and are promoted through many of the things we automatically do. Without practitioners or the children realising many British Values are already instilled in the children and they will be displaying these in their play, in their routines and in the choices they make.
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