Fundamental British Values @HRC

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The Student Liaison Officer's offices, one on each campus in the back of the Student Lounge areas, are always open. We want to hear what you want to say. But there is also the online Learner Voice system, where students are encouraged to leave any feedback of things about HRC they want changing.

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- The Rule of Law

The Rule of Law means simply that the law should govern - that the law is what we are all to follow, and that the law is the same for everyone.

Included in that are these key beliefs:

          • No one is above the law - everyone, even those who make the laws, have to follow them.
          • Laws protect everyone 
          • Everyone is innocent until proven guilty

As with everyone in Britain, we at Hertford Regional College are subject to the laws of the British Government. We also have college-specific rules that regulate what we do within HRC.

- Individual Liberty

Individual liberty is the freedom, e.g. the right to act, believe and express oneself, in a manner of one’s own choosing. 

HRC students are supported and encouraged to make informed choices about their future, just so long as the rights and responsibilities of others are also respected.

At HRC, we promote the importance of individual liberty through things such as:

          • Extra-curricular activities and clubs, including extended studies.
          • Encouraging students to voice views in lessons.
          • Offering students the freedom to make their own choices regarding academic decisions and their future pathways.

The last of these is a big part of your time at HRC. Although we will support and assist in any decision you make about your future, the freedom to act as you please means that the final choice is yours.

IMPORTANTLY, individual liberty must be understood within the values of mutual respect and tolerance. Individual liberty gives you the right to act as you want, but NOT if it is intolerant of, disrespectful or damaging towards others.

- Mutual Respect and Tolerance

This involves having a fair and accepting attitude to those whose faith, background and/or beliefs may differ from our own. 

HRC welcomes people of all backgrounds and cultures, all ages, all genders and sexualities, and all religions and beliefs.

In college, we promote the importance of this tolerance through such things as:

            • Observance of various religious days.
            • Black History Month.
            • Acceptance of faith symbolism.
            • The B.R.A.V.O. campaign 

We promote the importance of mutual respect through our shared ‘Acceptable Standards’ of behaviour in and around the College and we actively promote diversity and accept that people have different faiths or beliefs.

Under the Equality Act 2010, the following are all protected from discriminatory behaviour:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation.

Further Education colleges are major education and training providers for the 16–25 year age group, particularly young people from ethnically diverse, and socially and economically disadvantaged areas. The age and profile of our students make it crucial to be involved in the PREVENT strategy. 

Hertford Regional College is committed to the government's PREVENT strategy, which aims to protect these Fundamental British Values from any extremist threats to the nation. All staff are trained in the PREVENT agenda, to protect all students from extremism and terrorism, and to protect the college environment that allows for the healthy and free discussion of these views.

The Hertford Regional College Prevent Strategy has five key objectives: 

     1. To promote and reinforce shared values; to create space for free and open debate; and to listen and support the learner voice. 

     2. To proactively encourage mutual respect among different student communities including by supporting inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and to engage all students in playing a full and active role in wider engagement in society 

     3. To ensure student safety and that the College is free from bullying, harassment and discrimination 

     4. To provide support for students who may be at risk and appropriate sources of advice and guidance 

     5. To ensure that students and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in preventing violent extremism.  

To achieve these objectives, Fundamental British Values are embedded across the vocational and tutorial curricula and throughout the college’s enrichment programme. 

Promoting these fundamental British Values permeates everything we do at Hertford Regional College, and is taught directly to all students as a part of the tutorial programme. Two of the mandatory units in the group tutorial programme are sessions on promoting Fundamental British Values and Prevent (with a focus on developing critical thinking skills) and a session on E-safety (which focuses on how students could stay safe on-line).

Fundamental British Values are also embedded in the curriculum delivery. Below is an example of how this is done for a Creative Media students:

Do you know?

In March 2016, we asked HRC students what they thought was meant by "British Values".

  

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