A society holds together through the quality of its shared values, which are produced through a shared conversation.
A school can be a microcosm of what the world should be.
It is our aim to raise standards by promoting a school ethos underpinned by core shared values. These values do not reflect any particular set of religious beliefs but aim to explore universal themes and define our shared ‘common ground’.
Adults encourage our children to reflect on these values as they develop their own moral compass for exploring the world.
The values we focus on are:
excellence: appreciation, consideration, co-operation, quality
responsibility & respect: caring, friendship, love & happiness, generosity & helpfulness
determination: hope, patience, courage, perseverance independence: inspiration, imagination, self-belief, aspiration
unity: tolerance, thoughtfulness, understanding, freedom, diversity
trust: fairness, honesty, unity, simplicity
Teaching and learning about shared values takes place in the following ways:
- by teachers explaining the meaning of the value
- by children reflecting on the value and what it means to them and their own behaviour
- by children using the value to guide their own actions or ‘unpick’ their own behaviour
- by all staff consistently modelling the value through their own behaviour
- by ensuring that values are taught implicitly through every aspect of the curriculum through the work of the School Council
- by involving all staff, governors and parents in the shared values programme through newsletters which explain how school and home can work together to promote positive values
Over the years, shared values education has a positive impact on our children. They become increasingly reflective and able to demonstrate the following in their everyday behaviour and attitudes:
- behave more calmly and purposely
- concentrate on the core purpose of learning and not become distracted by other issues
- reflect on and talk about their own feelings and behaviour
- self-awareness and self-acceptance
- considerate to others and less ego-centred
- take greater responsibility for their own actions
- self-confidence, with increased self-esteem
- relate to others more effectively.