British values refer to a set of values that the UK government believes are important for citizens to learn and uphold. These values are often referred to as Fundamental British Values or Core British Values, and they include:

• Democracy: A culture built upon freedom and equality, where everyone is aware of their rights and responsibilities. This value promotes joint decision making, leadership and accountability, and the right to protest and petition.

• The rule of law: The need for rules to make a happy, safe, and secure environment to live and work. This value promotes the understanding of legislation, agreed ways of working, policies and procedures, and how the law protects individuals and others.

• Individual liberty: Protection of your rights and the rights of others around you. This value promotes equality and human rights, personal development, respect and dignity, rights, choice, consent, individuality, values, and principles.

• Mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs: Understanding that we all don’t share the same beliefs and values. Respecting those values, ideas, and beliefs of others while not imposing our own onto them. This value promotes embracing diversity, the importance of religion, traditions, cultural heritage, and preferences, tackling discrimination, stereotyping, labelling, and prejudice.

These values are important to establish a strong sense of social and moral responsibility, create environments free from discrimination, intolerance, and hate, and challenge prejudice and stereotyping, while strengthening relationships within the community. Schools in the UK are required to teach these values to children, and the government provides guidance on how to promote them through SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social, and Cultural) development.