The key message that we have learnt about this value is that we have the freedom to do the things we want to as long as we don’t hurt anyone else or damage anything linked to the rule of law.  So freedom doesn’t mean that we are free to do whatever we want, it means that we are free to do what’s right.

We are free at school to make choices at different points in the school day as long as they don’t break the school expectations of:  Be Safe, Be Ready and Be Respectful or the school values of Love, Peace, Courage, Trust and Friendship.  If we break any of these, we are asked to think about the impact of this on an individual level and a wider level by looking at how this has impacted on others.

The impact that individual liberty has on our children at St Bede:

Children at St. Bede feel a sense of belonging and feel their opinions are valued. They develop strategies to manage different situations in which they need to make choices. They are aware of how to stay safe in different situations such as e-safety. They enjoy and value the freedoms that they have, of speech, of thought and of being themselves while remaining respectful of others' differences.

“Pupils are encouraged to very maturely challenge one another’s and their own opinions and views. This leads to deeper thinking and promotes excellent attitudes to learning. For example, pupils adeptly and sensitively say in lessons, ‘I don’t quite agree with...because....’ This further develops the outstanding quality of children’s moral and social development.”  (Siams 2018)