Aims and Values

School Aims

Our most basic purpose is to encourage and help children to realise and achieve their full potential.

Our aims are:

  • To create a secure and happy school environment where courtesy, consideration, good manners and honesty hold high priority.
  • To provide an excellent education, both academic and social, in a Christian context.
  • To be an integral part of the community, working in partnership with the Church and local community through both individuals and organisations.
  • To continually develop the school as a key focus in the community.
  • To provide a broad and balanced curriculum for each child, acknowledging the needs of the individual.
  • To give each child equal opportunity to develop independence, confidenceand self-esteem, whist enjoying their learning.
  • To encourage the children to care for others and work co-operatively, thereby valuing the growth of their own achievements and those of others.
  • To help pupils to achieve to their full potential, contribute to the community beyond school and make positive contributions to the community in which they live.
  • To maintain an attractive and welcoming learning environment.

The true results of children’s education will not always be able to be measured in terms of marks gained or even knowledge acquired, important though they are. We also highly value integrity, honesty, effort, maturity and responsibility as well as care and consideration shown towards others.

Christian Values

Our school has chosen endurance, trust and community as core Christian values of all we do.

Together they have become #etc

Endurance

Endurance is learning to keep going when something becomes hard. It’s about not giving up on yourself or those around you. It’s about believing in yourself, your gifts and talents. It’s not being frightened to dream and to hang onto that dream. It’s about helping each other as that’s how we want to be treated.

Trust

Trust lies at the heart of all healthy relationships. By being reliable, responsible and honest with ourselves and others we learn to trust. It’s when you keep your promises and have the courage to speak out. In this way we learn how to look after each other.

Community

We try hard to make our school inclusive. It is a safe space, a place where you’re trusted, feel supported and are believed in. Each person has a role to play within our school community. We learn to say sorry, forgive each other and make a fresh start. It’s where you can give your ideas and thoughts to make it a better place.

British Values

The DFE have reinforced the need ‘to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.’ The Government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values have continued to be reiterated. These values are integral to our ethos.

Ivegill CE Primary considers that its curriculum and values reflect fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.  This is found throughout the school policies, procedures and ethos.

At Ivegill CE Primary, we aim to support children to:

  • make judgements about how to behave and act and understand the reasons for such behaviour
  • Understand and distinguish ‘right from wrong’
  • Have respect for and an age appropriate understand of the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different beliefs and faiths
  • Develop a personal code of behaviour i.e. telling the truth, being honest, having respect for justice

Our commitment to British Values is made evident through:

  • Fostering of mutual respect and trust e.g. assemblies
  • Promoting our core values of endurance, trust and community to provide our children with the skills needed to play a positive part in society
  • Encouraging children to express their point of view and listen to the views of others via circle time and PSHE
  • Our curriculum, where content is regularly reviewed to reflect on and promote positive attitudes to British Values e.g. medium term plans
  • A commitment to support children’s learning with books and materials which reflect cultural diversity and the place of Britain in the world including geography and history
  • Religious Education lessons that focus on understanding different beliefs and faiths
  • Each year the children decide upon their class rules and the rights associated with these. All children contribute to this process and are encouraged to take responsibility for their behaviour
  • The children completing an annual questionnaire where they put forward their views about the school
  • Effective staff training

All teachers are required to be evaluated against the Teachers’ Standards, including these elements in Part 2 of the standards:

  • “showing tolerance of and respect for the rights of others
  • “not undermining fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs
  • “Ensuring that personal beliefs are not expressed in ways which exploit pupils’ vulnerability or might lead them to break the law

At Ivegill, we have a weekly British Values assembly and in our 'Let your light shine' assembly child from each class is awarded a certificate for demonstrating British Values.