Schools

• A supportive environment wherein values are a natural part of everyday school life provides ideal conditions for children’s values to thrive. This may include regular check-ins and reviews of how well the school culture aligns with the curriculum’s intended values and addressing any mismatches.

• Schools may provide opportunities for teachers to discuss how wider social or cultural values influence their teaching and develop strategies to handle these influences.

• Schools may provide opportunities for teachers and support staff to discuss and learn about values and their applications in and outside of the classroom and share experiences and best practice widely.

• Providing opportunities for children to show desired behaviour and engage with value related activities has shown to be a powerful pathway to value formation. Encouraging behaviour that is related to desired values, such as supportive behaviour can help strengthen those values that schools are finding particularly important. .

• By encouraging a positive school climate that balances stability with curiosity and collaboration, schools can ensure that values are reinforced not only in the classroom but also in playtime, assemblies, and extracurricular activities.

Teachers

• Teachers can bring values education to life by incorporating them into everyday lessons and activities. For example, group projects can encourage fairness and collaboration, while independent assignments can foster curiosity and creativity.

• Teachers can demonstrate values like kindness, fairness, and curiosity through their actions. By acting as a role model, teachers show students what these principles look like in real life.

• Teachers may reflect on the importance of framing classroom activities and rules in a manner that reinforces positive values while avoiding the accidental promotion of less-beneficial values. For example, teachers can frame academic achievement as a celebration of personal effort rather than a celebration of competitiveness

• Teachers may consider behaviour when discussing values. Fostering behaviour that aligns with desired values, as well as values that align with desired behaviour creates a consistent approach and is a powerful pathway to value change.

• Making space for classroom discussions about different values, including how they vary across cultures, can also help students appreciate diversity and develop their own value system.