Values in action

British Values — democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs — are sometimes treated as a compliance exercise: a poster in a corridor, a tick-box in a scheme of work. At CBSC 6th Form, we take a different view. As a genuinely diverse, non-selective school in one of London's most selective boroughs, these values aren't abstract — they're the everyday reality of how our students learn to live and work alongside people whose backgrounds, beliefs and experiences differ from their own.

In our Sixth Form, British Values are embedded through real discussion, real decisions, and real responsibility — not delivered as a single stand-alone lesson.

How the four values come to life

Democracy: Students have a genuine voice in how the school runs. Our Student Voice and Active Citizenship sessions cover student parliament, local democracy, and campaigning — and students go further than discussion, developing a “You Said, We Did” response to feedback they've raised themselves. Sessions on global crises and local action encourage students to see themselves as active citizens, not passive observers.

The Rule of Law: Students explore the law as it applies to their own emerging independence — from understanding employment rights, contracts and the minimum wage, to recognising the law around drugs, alcohol and online scams, to understanding gambling and financial harms. Sessions on misinformation and “the truth about trading” build the critical thinking students need to recognise when something isn't legitimate, online or off.

Individual Liberty: As students take on greater independence, we support them to exercise it safely and with self-respect: consent and boundaries in adult relationships, managing personal safety, making informed choices about health and finances, and understanding their rights and responsibilities as young adults. Sessions on digital wellbeing and managing an online presence extend this into students' digital lives.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance: This is where our Sixth Form's character shows most clearly. Sessions on diversity, equality and protected characteristics sit alongside dedicated work on misogyny, violence against women and girls, and active bystander skills — approached directly and honestly, as is appropriate for a boys' school with a mixed Sixth Form. Holocaust Remembrance and Remembrance Day mark historic intolerance and sacrifice; sessions on ethics, philosophy and “what do you actually believe” give students room to examine their own values alongside others'; and our growing partnerships — including with Sutton United Girls Academy, with recruitment and trials commencing September 2026 ahead of launch in September 2027 — reflect a lived commitment to inclusion, not just a stated one.

Respect for faith and belief is built into the practical fabric of school life, not just discussed in lessons. We provide a designated prayer space for students, including a separate space for female students, and a Christian Forum open to students across all year groups. We welcome students of all faiths, and of none, and are always glad to talk through how we can support a student's individual religious or belief-based needs.

Delivered across the whole Sixth Form experience

British Values aren't confined to a single strand of the curriculum. They run through:

• Bi Weekly PSHCE and tutor time,  where many of the sessions above are delivered directly

• Assemblies,  which regularly return to themes of identity, ethics, and community

• Remembrance events,  marked meaningfully rather than as a formality

• Student leadership and voice mechanisms,  giving students real influence over school life

• The everyday culture of a diverse, non-selective school,  where students learn alongside peers from a genuinely wide range of backgrounds as a matter of course, not as a special initiative

Find out more

If you have questions about how British Values are embedded across our Sixth Form curriculum, please contact Mr B Earley, Raising Standards Leader (Welfare) on bearley@ carshaltonboys.org

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