Whitefriars School

[EduCativ]

We have expanded Whitefriars School in our landmark new building so that we can offer a new nursery, more primary places, specialist subject teaching to primary pupils from both our schools and outstanding secondary education for 11 to 19-year-old students!

In October 2012 our school was judged by OFSTED to be ‘good with outstanding leadership and we have built on that success. Our school is a strong family where expectations are high, values are positive, forgiveness is abundant and children are treasured. We believe that anyone can learn anything and the growth mindset underpins everything we do.

We are in a federation with Heathland School which was judged to be ‘outstanding’ by OFSTED in 2010 and again in 2014. Our staff team continuously strives to find engaging and innovative ways to help our children learn and develop as individuals. We build close partnerships with families and celebrate success together. Building on our success as a CPD center and Teaching School, in September 2014 we launched the Heathland Learning Trust, offering courses, workshops, and consultancy to colleagues in other schools.

At Whitefriars, we focus on a set of shared values that help us to work with one another co-operatively and with respect. We learn the importance of friendship and unity, and how to approach life with positivity and hope. These values make our school community happy and harmonious, a fun place, where children feel secure. Our Values are important to all pupils, staff, and parents.

The whole staff team and all pupils are involved in promoting Values and recognizing their positive effects around the school. The Values have been selected by pupils and staff as Values that are important within the school community and which will be important throughout life.

We aim to:

• Develop pupils’ understanding of what Values are and why they are important in life.
• Encourage children to refer to the school’s shared Values when making choices.
• Use the Values of the school when solving conflict situations.
• Exemplify the school’s shared Values in our own choices.
• Display and share our school Values and encourage all visitors to take account of them in their time in the school.
• Encourage parents to support the school’s Values by promoting the ‘Value of the Month’.
• Promote positive behavior choices by developing strong values within the pupils at the school.
• Our Values approach consists of two sets of 11 Values over a two-year rolling program.
• Each month a new Value is introduced through an explicit Values lesson in each class, and the full set of Values is displayed in each classroom.
• Further understanding of the Value in the context of the school and the wider community is explored and celebrated through assemblies and the Value being promoted by all staff in every aspect of school life.
• Assembly themes will be predominantly Values-based, and at the end of each month, a pupil from each class is selected or nominated to receive a Values certificate for that month.
• Circle time and PHSE lessons will be further opportunities to discuss and promote Values within each classroom with informal opportunities being utilized whenever possible, e.g. playtime.
• Our Values are shared and displayed on notice boards, on display in the halls and within each classroom. They are also visible on the school website and our welcome screens.
• Our Values-driven approach has been commended in our most recent Ofsted inspection report (December 2010)

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