Democracy

Pupils grow in knowledge and understanding of democracy by:

• Providing pupils with a broad general knowledge of, and promoting respect for, public institutions and services by discussing these whenever appropriate in curriculum work.
• Teaching pupils how they can influence decision making through the democratic process e.g. Parliament Week, elections.  
• Encouraging pupils to become involved in decision-making processes and ensuring they are listened to in school e.g. in our school council, Mini Vinnies, Justice and Peace group, Chaplaincy team, pupil contribution in Education Health Care Plan process. 
• Including in the curriculum information on the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain e.g. when considering periods of history when democracy was not as fully developed as it is now.
• Actively encouraging pupils to express their views through a variety of lessons and topics, and providing opportunities to present work and opinions.
• Holding debating sessions as part of the curriculum so pupils can discuss and debate important topics, such as the voting age and taxation.
• School  council annually visit the Houses of Parliament.