Vision & Values

We are a school that fights the corner of every child – whether it be in the classroom, on the sports field, on the stage, backpacking in Cambodia, or living teenage life outside of school. Quite simply, we expect every child in our school to feel safe, happy and successful – whoever they are – and every part of our daily work is striving to meet at least one of these objectives.

Certainly, each student with us is not an 8.40am-3.10pm child – our door and our care does not shutdown. Each child matters all of the time, and our expectations of them are high all of the time. It does not matter Lesson 3 Maths, or Week 3 of the Summer Holidays,, expectations are high and we are on call. We look at them as a whole, their rises and falls, in-and-out of school, and we are always ready to cheer them on, stand by their side, or prop them up – whatever they need.

Our school mission statement reflects this commitment: “High achievement through challenge and support for every learner.”

Within this, we are a school that is passionate about giving students a wide range of curriculum opportunities because this breadth enables every student to shine and enjoy success. No child can shine nor succeed everywhere, but they can all shine and succeed somewhere. We make it as a priority to challenge them and to support them to find that somewhere.

We are a school that drives hard at academic success – we know qualifications are the currency for so many opportunities in life. However, we also recognise that high achievement does not only come via the exam hall. It can leap out from the school play or the athletics track, the debating chamber or the charity fund-raiser, the orchestra pit or the chess club, the out-of-school club or the overseas residential. All these achievements carry great merit and they all need celebrating; not least, because one achievement often inspires another, and another, and another.

We are a school that expect the best hard, but also works empathetically to secure the skills and knowledge that enable children to meet every challenge. We are school that knows a challenge can be overcome if the supportive building blocks are put in place to meet the goal. The Most Able children have to be stretched to meet their full potential, but just as much the Less Able have to be enabled to overcome their hurdles and to reach their finishing line. Those too, who have lost their way, for whatever reason, need to be given opportunities and steered back to the right path.

We are a school that sets high standards in term of behaviour management in the school. Every child benefits from consistent parameters, high expectations and a clear bottom-line. However, we also appreciate a student is a child and so we seek to provide a sense of fun, magic and imagination. We want our students to be supported in growing up, but there is still room to be a child. It could be formal exam or it could be dodgem cars; it could be the formality of a debating competition or as a leaping rock star on the stage, it could be demonstrating maturity in an employability experience or showing immaturity as they bounce across a mammoth inflatable.

No matter the strengths, the weaknesses, the ability, or the context, we are a school that goes all out for every child. Looking out for every student at our school is more than just a job, it is a cast-iron commitment, and alongside every family, whatever the shape or size, we are shoulder-to-shoulder.

This is our vision for our school, these are the values we hold, and we pursue this approach every day. If this approach mirrors what you value, whether as a student, parent, or teacher, then we hopefully have a home for you to join in and contribute to our school flourishing. If you are with us, but feel we are falling short, then get in touch and let’s work a way forward – our ambitions will never be too far apart and there will always be a mutual way.

Matt Allman
Headteacher