Values and Aims
Our Vision Statement
We discover and realise the genius in everyone
We learn about and respect the people with whom we share our world
We constantly develop and acquire the skills needed to achieve personal success
We build up our confidence in ourselves
We learn to treat and respect others the way we like to be treated
Our Aims
To create a stimulating environment which reflects our values and promotes a sense of self worth and community.
To build strong collaborative partnerships with families and the local community.
To provide a broad, balanced and creative curriculum that combines excellence in teaching with enjoyment of learning.
To recognise and plan for a range of learning styles and interests, to ensure all children have equal access to the curriculum enabling them to reach their full potential.
To promote life-long learning through high quality continual professional development for all staff and by developing a learning culture throughout the school.
To promote social, cultural, moral and spiritual development, supporting pupils and staff to become confident and responsible members of society.
To establish an atmosphere in which each child has a positive self-image and where individual achievements are valued by all.
To include all members of the school community in the process of school improvement and self evaluation.
Values-Based Education
Heronsgate provides a Values-based curriculum. This means that we promote and teach a set of values to our pupils that will ensure they develop the skills to be good citizens in the future. We support our curriculum with a set of principles (values) that are woven into teaching and learning in order to develop improved social and emotional skills that will positively affect behaviour.
“Why do we behave the way we do? What is it that drives us to give to charity or to help children to develop as happy, stable people? It is our values that determine our thinking and our behaviour. They are the principles, standards or life stances that act as guides to our behaviour. They are our beliefs about what is worthwhile, the ideals for which we strive. They are the standards by which particular beliefs and actions are judged to be good or desirable. They help us make decisions and evaluate the actions of others.”
(Dr Neil Hawkes – An International Educational Consultant who has been working with our teachers.)
There are 6 values that we consider to be universal:
Responsibility
Respect
Resilience
Kindness
Honesty
Co-operation
Each month we lead a special values assembly, teachers also explicitly teach the ‘Value of the Month’ in PSHCE lessons. Wherever possible the value of the month is taught in other areas of the curriculum. Most importantly, adults in the school ensure that we are role-models for each of the values.
Teaching children values improves pupils’ self-esteem, improves their behaviour and raises standards of learning even higher.