About VbE

Values-based Education (VbE) is a profoundly different life-enhancing, holistic approach to education. It supports schools to provide a values-based environment in which pupils become aware of and experience positive universal values in their lives. It provides learners with the foundations from which to develop self-awareness, interpersonal skills and opportunities to put their values into action to enable humanity and our world to flourish.

Our values are underpinning and multifarious but the principle driving forces are perhaps seen most brightly in the values of love, peace and courage:

• Love for individuals and humanity is our compelling value and the reason why our trustees, advisers and everyone that follows and develops this approach to ethical living commit to and further it under their own volition.

• Peace – a key aim of our work is helping people to develop the attributes to see, understand and employ the ethics of sympathy, empathy and trust in order to better acknowledge themselves and live in harmony with others. These are life skills that can change our world.

• Courage – this work is demanding of the self and demands a quietly courageous revolution in the way we view and conduct our daily lives and throughout our worldwide engagement.

Through committing to these values for everyone, we work to get closer to:

• Social Justice

• Personal Wellbeing

• Sustainable Harmony

• The Flourishing of Humanity

We continually strive to increase the recognition and respect of the education profession and wider society for a values-led approach. To this end, we are committed to enacting a values-based approach and ensuring that unquestionable integrity is at the heart of their work. We champion the rights of children constantly and challenge ourselves to always think from a values perspective. We strive to avoid any conflict of interest in fulfilling their duties.

Our responsibility to our patrons

We ensure that our Trustees and Patrons engage with our work in sympathy with their ideals and other commitments. Our trustees and patrons are kept informed and up to date on our work, and receive newsletters as well as invitations to events we run. The involvement and activities of our trustees and patrons involvement are always gratefully acknowledged.

Our responsibility to our affiliates

We are immensely grateful for the time and commitment given by our affiliates. We gratefully acknowledge their involvement and practical contributions and support directly, and through the wider work do.

Our responsibility to our partner organisations

We are committed to working in partnership with organisations that express similar aims and intentions. It promotes and develops a community of trust, listening and understanding. We are respectful of copyright.

Our responsibility to our clients

We aim to provide a high standard of practice, to deliver highly valued services and excellent value for money on the occasions when it charges.

Our responsibility to our voluntary supporters

We are inordinately grateful for the voluntary support we receive from a wide range of individuals and organisations. Voluntary support will always be gratefully acknowledged directly, and through the further work we do. 

VbE is the educational arm of the IVET Foundation, a UK registered charity whose objectives are to support social transformation for the flourishing of humanity.

• ivetfoundation.com

Neil Hawkes is the founder of VbE. He has a website that sets out his thoughts and resources relating to the creation, development and future direction of the VbE movement.

• neilhawkes.org