British Values – A Cultural Exploration

SLiCE Nick Hughes from Accrington Academy led an alliance project across three United Learning Trust Schools in the region including his own, Manchester and Stockport Academies.

In November 2014 the Department for Education issued “promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools”. Nick used this as a springboard to develop his action research project and to animate this work in a direct experiential way for staff and students. His report will be available on our website in the autumn

On 14^th July the culmination of this work was hosted at the National Football Museum, their cultural partner, who provided a platform for a showcase of work to include dance, music, drama and video presentations exploring the cultural heritage of pupils in these schools.

Personal accounts of students experience of their own and other cultures filmed as a backdrop created a context for the live performances which were attended by school staff, family members and friends. The energy, enthusiasm and commitment of the students involved was clear to see and offered a moving series of performances titled “I did not speak out”, “Tolerate this” and “Unity”.