Our Ethos
Values...
Life should be happy!
"...a world that has no room for difference, has no room for humanity itself." Jonathan Sacks
At Broadfields we are determined to ensure that all the children of this school receive an education that will develop them to their maximum potential.
It is also the responsibility of all the adults within the school to ensure the emotional security of all the pupils by creating an atmosphere in which children can feel at ease and can thrive. Children should develop feelings of self worth and confidence throughout their lives at school. Children who are happy at school are far more likely to learn.
To ensure that this aim can be achieved, certain fundamental structures must be in place. Our philosophy for the successful school is based on getting right two basic aspects of schooling - education and ethos.
Education
We believe that education should inspire and excite children. We also believe that school should be fun; otherwise it won’t often work. We know that it is the prime role of a teacher to clarify and explain through interventions that make a disproportionate difference to a child’s understanding.
So our aim is to deliver a very high standard of teaching and learning. This is best achieved when teachers use a range of direct, structured and lively approaches to delivering the curriculum. Pupils need to be engaged in purposeful activities, and within the classroom the children should be working with sustained concentration, commitment and enjoyment. Teachers must have high expectations of their pupils and make it clear that careless work is unacceptable.
Ethos
Getting the educational aspects of running a school correct is no use unless there is a very positive ethos within the school.
The ethos of the school is not just about six lines at the start of the school prospectus. It is about the atmosphere and the expectations of behaviour within the school. It is about the relationships between all those involved in school life.
Children need to understand that within school there are certain high expectations of behaviour. We set clear rules, define boundaries and explain consequences relating to misdemeanours. In order to be successful this structure must be based on a clear set of understood and inclusive values. At Broadfields these are...
- Equality – Every human life has equal value and must be respected, no one is better or worse than anyone else.
- Freedom - The power to think, speak or act as one wants, as long as our thoughts, words or actions do not harm or hurt another person.
- Justice - The need for democracy, and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
- Tolerance - Believing that everyone has a right to their own opinion and belief (even if you disagree with that opinion or belief).
- Fellowship – We are all brothers and sisters in our human family.
Having such a framework is vital to the success of this school; it provides security and ensures fairness and respect for the whole community and prepares our children for life in modern Britain.
The school's ethos is inextricably linked to the development of an atmosphere in which productive and positive relationships exist between the staff, the parents and the children.
Such an atmosphere allows
- teachers to enjoy coming to school looking forward to working with the children
- children looking forward to meeting their teachers and friends unburdened by a fear of failure and secure that they won't be bullied
- parents to recognise that the school is making a positive impact on their children's lives
We will always work very hard to develop relationships based on mutual respect and understanding. Good relationships with parents are achieved by being open, honest, competent and willing to provide information. Parents will not be kept at arm's length, as they are an integral part of a child's education.
It is our belief that a school that bases its ethos on these statements is far more likely to achieve success than one that chooses some other alternative.
Summary
We believe that Broadfields is a happy, positive community where every child matters.
We hope that both the children of this school and their parents will come to regard the years spent here to have been enjoyable, valuable, purposeful and productive.
Our School Aim
To provide a foundation for life in a happy, high achieving school, where individuals have high expectations of themselves, respect each other and fulfil their true potential. We are a school to which whole school community, children, staff, parents and governors are proud to belong.