We live in a diverse country with a strong national identity. We have a long history, well-established institutions, proud traditions and customs, and an enduring cultural heritage. When our national sports teams are doing well, you will see flags adorn buildings, cars and people. It’s right that we should be proud and to display our flags, should people wish to. However, in the last few weeks, in a small number of cases flags have been used to promote intolerance and division in communities.
Please see a statement by the Prime Minister made on 14 September 2025, where he championed the right to peaceful protest as a core part of our values and that “we will never surrender it [our flag] to those that use it as a symbol of violence, fear and division.”
Fundamental British Values
Teachers have a vital role in preparing our children for the opportunities and responsibilities of adult life, and all schools must promote community cohesion. We have core principles and qualities that guide British behaviour, decisions and interactions. These Fundamental British Values (FBVs) shape how people live, work and relate to others. Schools[1] are legally required to actively promote FBVs as part of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. These values consist of:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.
These values are to be integrated and promoted within a school. Some approaches to FBV integration include:
| Approach | Details |
| Curriculum Integration | Embed FBVs across key subjects such Relationships Education (primary) / Relationships and Sex Education (secondary), History, Religious Education, English, etc. For example, teaching about Parliament in History or discussing freedom in Literature. |
| School Ethos & Assemblies | Promote values through assemblies, school rules, and behaviour policies. Encourage respect and tolerance in daily interactions. |
| Student Voice | Use school councils and mock elections to teach democracy in action. |
| Safeguarding & Prevent Duty | FBVs are part of the strategy to prevent extremism. Schools must challenge views that oppose these values. |
| Staff Training | Ensure staff understand how to model and promote FBVs in their teaching and conduct. |
| Ofsted Inspection | Inspectors assess how well schools promote FBVs through SMSC development and personal development criteria. |
Examples of FBV promotion good practice
- Debates on current affairs to explore liberty and law, whilst staying balanced and impartial.
- Celebrating cultural and religious festivals to promote tolerance.
- Behaviour policies that reinforce fairness and justice.
- Encouraging respectful disagreement and critical thinking.
Resources to help facilitate difficult conversations
Talking to young people about current affairs and sensitive issues can be challenging, but it’s important to understand that you are not expected to know all the answers to the questions your learners might have, and that you won’t always know how to respond to comments and concerns about what has happened. It is important that you as a teacher remain impartial and balanced when discussing issues.
Our Let’s Discuss: Fundamental British Values (FBVs) resources and guest blog from Tell Mama and Community Security Trust following the year anniversary of the October 7th terrorist attacks in Israel can support you in facilitating difficult classroom conversations with your learners. Each Let’s Discuss pack can help you teach students about extremism and includes teacher guidance, a short video, and a slide pack that will help you start difficult discussions with young people.
Staying safe online
We are aware of mis- and dis-information being shared online related to certain groups of people and government action. It’s important that young people know how to behave online, how to spot mis- and disinformation, and to understand what actions taken online constitute criminality. Our Educate Against Hate blog explains more: What is ‘fake news’, misinformation and disinformation.
More help and information can be found at BBC Own It, the BBC’s resources on misinformation and the UK riots, and The Guardian Foundation. You may find it beneficial to use these resources with your learners to teach them about the importance of identifying the difference between fact and opinion.
We have previously teamed up with the London Grid for Learning to put together ‘Going Too Far’ – an interactive learning product that can be used in a classroom setting or by students on their own. The resource aims to help students understand extremism and how certain online behaviour may be illegal or dangerous. This resource for secondary school pupils aims to promote critical thinking and build resilience to extremism using recent case studies.
There are also a range of other resources available to schools on these topics, including:
Raising concerns
Schools and colleges have a key responsibility in protecting children and supporting their wellbeing. An essential part of this involves fostering an environment that is secure, peaceful, and encouraging — where every student, regardless of their religion or background, feels safe and supported. If attempted expressions of patriotism in schools and colleges cross the line into intolerance and/or the disrespect of other individuals or groups then schools need to act accordingly, whether that’s following behavioural or safeguarding processes.
[1] This duty applies to all maintained schools, academies, free schools, and independent schools.