V is for Values-Based Education
How children learn is just as important as what they learn. Values-based education places kindness, respect and curiosity at the centre of children’s experiences, helping shape everyday interactions, relationships and approaches to learning.
In a world full of change, positive values can give children a sense of stability, belonging and direction.
What is values-based education?
Values-based education places shared principles — such as empathy, fairness, honesty and perseverance — at the heart of early years practice. Rather than being taught only as separate topics, these values can be encouraged through everyday experiences. They are:
Modelled by adults through their words and actions.
Embedded in routines and daily interactions.
Explored through stories, songs and play.
Reflected in how children treat one another.
The aim is not simply to teach children a set of rules or reward certain behaviours. It is to help them gradually understand why kindness, fairness and respect matter.
Which values can children learn?
Values-based approaches may focus on several principles that support children’s social and emotional development:
Respect – Recognising the feelings, needs and boundaries of others, as well as caring for the environment.
Kindness – Showing care through small gestures and thoughtful actions.
Independence – Encouraging children to make choices and develop confidence in their abilities.
Belonging – Helping every child feel welcomed, included and accepted.
Curiosity – Encouraging questions, exploration and a willingness to discover new things.
Communication – Listening to others, expressing ideas and recognising that everyone deserves to be heard.
The way these values are expressed may differ between families and communities, making respectful conversations and shared understanding especially important.
What does values-based education look like in practice?
Children encounter values through ordinary moments throughout the day. For example:
A child comforts a friend who is upset.
An adult patiently helps children work through a disagreement.
Children cooperate to tidy a shared play area.
Practitioners use inclusive language and listen carefully to children’s ideas.
Adults welcome families with openness and respect.
These experiences give children opportunities to see positive values in action and gradually practise them in their own relationships.
Why does values-based education matter?
A values-based environment can help children:
Feel more secure and included.
Develop positive social habits.
Build empathy and understanding.
Learn to cooperate and resolve disagreements.
Develop a sense of responsibility towards others and their surroundings.
Children often learn by observing the adults around them. When adults demonstrate compassion, patience, fairness and honesty, they provide examples children can begin to understand and follow.
The role of families
Values are shaped both at home and in early years settings. Communication between parents, carers and practitioners can help children experience consistent support while recognising that families may have different traditions and perspectives.
Families can encourage values-based learning by:
Talking about kindness, fairness and respect in everyday situations.
Helping children understand how their actions affect others.
Recognising thoughtful behaviour and acts of cooperation.
Discussing different perspectives in an age-appropriate way.
Modelling the behaviours they want children to develop.
Growing through shared values
Values-based education is about more than knowing what is right or wrong. It gives children opportunities to practise empathy, make thoughtful choices and develop positive relationships. Through everyday interactions and supportive guidance, children can gradually build the social and emotional skills that help them learn, participate and thrive.