Whole School Community Review of Aims, Values and Vision

Whole School Community Review of Aims, Values and Vision

Tuesday April22nd 2014

On Tuesday 22ndApril 2014, a representative group of thirty three members of the school community met to review the school aims values and vision of the school, including governors and parents as well as teachers, learning mentors, TAs, support staff .

Groups took part in a day of discussion activities as outlined below:

• Introduction
• Group activity: How well do we knowour current aims – what are they (without looking)?
• Group activity: Evaluation of current aims: are our current aims ‘living’? How do we know?How can we ‘see’ them (ie what are people thinking / saying / feeling / doing?)

-in the classroom

-around school,

-in the community

-in the staffroom

-at Governing Body / Friends of Wyton / Parents’ Forum meetings

-at Parent Consultation Evenings

-at school events (e.g. music concerts / sharing assemblies /Key Stage Productions / fundraising / social events

• Presentation: Why review / ‘revision’ now?
• Group discussion: Vision…Mission... Values... Aims... Ethos...
• Presentation: Why do we need a mission statement?
• Group activity: Missions are underpinned by values - Diamond Nine Values Activity
• Presentation: How to write a mission statement (Forbes Guide)
• Group activity: write a mission statement which incorporates and reflects the values you chose
• Plenary

Purpose of day: “Successful missions are created together and rely on a shared understanding.”

• To review the school’s current aims and the extent to which they are still ‘fit for purpose’ in the light of changes that have taken place since 2009, both locally and nationally
• To consider the terms Vision…Mission... Values... Aims... Ethos... and generate a shared working definition of them
• To develop a set of common / shared values
• To develop a shared understanding of the school’s ‘mission’ and work towards a statement of that ‘mission’ which communicates: what we do; how we do it; whom we do it for and what value we are bringing

Context:

• The school’s current aims were developed over a series of meetings in consultation with staff, governors and parents in 2009 and have underpinned everything the school does. However, both the landscape of education (the national context) and the community the school serves (the school context) have changed significantly since then in many ways, including the following:

School Context since 2009 / National Context since 2009
•Changing demographic – increasing mobility of school population; MOD base, housing developments, social housing)
•Staff changes : 3 new members of teaching staff since 2009 (soon to be 4); increased numbers of TAs & support staff
•New Leadership Team Structure
•Number of new Governors
•2 new parent-staff groups: Friends of Wyton & Parents’ Forum
•Ofsted 2011 – GOOD under old framework
•Ofsted under new framework due anytime: Assertive Mentoring; Big Maths; Big Writing; Accelerated Reader; Multiple Intelligences Days; Restructuring of TA support… / •Change in Leadership:2009-10 Gordon Brown & Ed Balls; 20010-present David Cameron & Michael Gove
•Ofsted Framework
•Academies and Free Schools
•Loss of Local Authority control
•Changes to SATS (introduction of
new SPAG test; Teacher
Assessments for Writing; changes
to Reading and Maths tests;
raised ‘floor levels’
•Raising participation age to 17
•Changes to GCSEs and A Levels
•New EYFS curriculum
•New National Curriculum
•A changing world in terms of technology, work, health...

• In this constantly changing landscape, it is therefore time for schools to work out

Who or whatthey are and where they want to go, starting by identifying where they are now.

It is therefore not surprising that there has been an increased emphasis since 2009 on schools developing mission statements as well as aims and objectives, not least because:“Research shows that schools that are the most successful in improving the outcomes for their children are those that benefit from a clarity of purpose that is grounded in a shared set of core values.” (The Key) Or, as Seneca puts it: "If a man knows not what harbour he seeks, any wind is the right wind."

Key Outcomes:

• Although groups did not remember the precise wording of the 2009 aims, all groups were able to paraphrase, using much of the language incorporated into the aims, which are as follows:

At Wyton on the Hill we aim to encourage and enable all pupils to raise their levels of aspiration and achievement and to ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes they will need for their future lives.

We will do this by:

Ensuring that parents, carers and families are supported to be active members of the community.

Promoting a caring ethos and environment in which children can learn the skills, dispositions and attitudes to develop positive relationships and choose not to bully or discriminate.

Working in partnership with families to ensure that children are ready to learn when they come to school.

Enabling all our pupils to develop self-confidence and successfully deal with significant life changes and challenges.

Providing opportunities for all to achieve through the development of a range of teaching and learning styles.

Encouraging and enabling our pupils to be physically healthy.

Providing opportunities through which every child can achieve personal and social enjoyment and enjoy recreation.

Encouraging the skills necessary to enable every child to develop a good work ethic and resilience.

• Groups also found that the 2009 aims (above) were in fact ‘living’ in that they were reflected in all aspects of the culture and ethos of the school in the following ways:

In the classrooms and in the school building / In the classrooms:
Pupil voice is listened to through Big Conversation and class talk assembly systems
Parents are encouraged to come in and help – and do
Pupils are receiving lots of positive praise and constructive criticism
Children are actively taking part in their own learning
Children’s attitudes in class are positive and happy
Children are engaging in health-related activities e.g. Take 10
Children are being encouraged to read through their Newsletters to find out what is happening in their school
Expectations around learning behaviour are clearly signposted
Children are rewarded for achievements and 7Rs through Smiley Charts
Rewards and Sanctions systems are clear
Resources are easily accessible to help children access them independently
Children are working hard
Talk for Learning is on task and focussed
Staff and pupils are making the best of space and resources
Children are respectful of other children’s feelings, space, ideas and opinions
Parents are invited in to share lessons (e.g. World Maths Day)
In the school building:
Children are happy to approach staff to ask a question or for help
Extra-curricular and Wrap-around care clubs are well-attended and happy
Boundaries / expectations around learning behaviour are clearly signposted
Pupils are undertaking their ‘pupil job’ responsibilities with pride
Positive behaviour, manners etc are rewarded e.g. at Top Table
Head teacher’s Awards display celebrates a wide range of successes and promotes learning to learn culture
Children’s work is on display
Parents can be seen in school helping or attending sharing assemblies etc
Pupils can be seen playing an active role in showing new parents / families around our school
Peer Mediation encourages a caring ethos
Noticeboards remind us what’s important in our school and give information about what is coming up
School newsletters and web pages are used for sharing and celebrating a wide range of personal achievements
Around school / In the playground you can see:
Peer Mediation
Staggered lunchtimes to maximise space and facilitate relationships
The majority of children resolving their own conflicts or seeking support from adults appropriately
Older children caring for younger children
Pupils undertaking ‘pupil job’ responsibilities
Resources chosen by children for them to play with
Healthy snacks
Children practising PE and games skills, being active (in lesson times & breaktimes)
Sports coaches
Children as play leaders
Children using the friendship bench
Buddy systems at work
In the community / In the Community you can see:
Friends of Wyton making talking positively about the school and making plans to raise funds and hold social events for the community
Members of our Parents Forum are talking positively about the school and acting as class representatives, helping us to make improvements to our school systems
People visiting our school website to find out about our school
Parents coming into school to help or to see what the children are doing, helping on school trips
Members of the school community coming into school for social events such as Family Bing, Quiz Nights etc
Members of the wider community using our school as a community centre – e.g. Parish Council, Scouting groups, local lettings
Families are supporting our charity fundraising activities - e.g. Prokick, Children in Need, the Wyton Marathon etc
People sharing memories about school events they have shared with us – e.g. music conferences, poetry performances, etc
Families comfortable about coming into school for Stay and Play
In the staffroom / In the Staffroom you can see:
Staff talking positively about pupils and their learning
Noticeboards which remind us of our targets and learning focusses
Forms and certificates which remind us of our targets and learning focusses
A calm, respectful ethos
Children being valued
Teachers and staff supporting each other
Staff sharing knowledge of their children
Teaching and learning resources / ideas for sharing
Staff meeting both formally and informally to talk about learning and progress matters
At Governing Body / Friends of Wyton / Parents’ Forum meetings / Parents’ Forum & Friends of Wyton meetings are well-attended by small groups of dedicated parents / community members and representative of a good cross-section of the community
Governors meetings and events are well attended and representative of a good cross-section of the community
Parents’ Forum representatives talk to as much of the community as possible
Members of staff and parents / friends and governors work well together (e.g. today!)
At Governing Body meetings, governors are talking about the learning they have seen on self-evaluation visits, lesson observations (such as Multiple Intelligence days), relating the policy and planning they make with what they observe first-hand
Groups spend time discussing ways of finding out about the community and its needs (e.g. through questionnaires and meetings) or ways of improving communication
Staff are consulting with parents and listening to fresh opinions / ideas – often putting them into practice straight away
Governors show support by attending and helping at school trips / events and sharing their experiences with others
Staff, governors, parents and friends are constantly reviewing means of communicating with parents – e.g. the school now has ParentMail and much clearer, more instantly informative and positive newsletters as a result of this
The Governing Body is constantly reviewing wrap-around care provision – Breakfast Club, After School Club
At Parent Consultation Evenings / Our school involves children in interviews with teacher & parents
Our school provides a crèche to enable all pupils and parents to attend
Our school encourages partnerships with families by being flexible and making additional time to meet with parents who cannot attend
Wherever possible, parents with more than one child at the school are given appointments which ‘match’
Individual barriers & enablers and school interventions are highlighted for parents
Our pupils demonstrate a good work ethic & have ownership of their own targets, work and learning
Our children recognise partnership, can be heard encouraging parents to attend and explaining the contents of their Assertive Mentoring reports to their parents
Our school has increased ‘buy-in’ from our parents, evidenced by increased attendance at our parent consultations
Our children are increasingly confident about sharing their successes
Our feedback to parents encourages the skills needed to allow children to develop , including responsibility and resilience and social behaviour
Children’s views are included in their own reviews throughout the terms
At school events (e.g. music concerts / sharing assemblies /Key Stage Productions / fundraising / social events / Children are confident to perform in front of peers & parents / guardians
Children behave well
Children are supportive of each other’s successes and challenges
Children are eager to put themselves forward for parts etc
Many more parents are coming into school to take an interest – the need to put out more seats is a positive sign!
A variety of achievements are recognised (e.g. learning attitudes, behaviour etc as well as subject-specific achievements)
On school trips & residentials, at special assemblies (Remembrance assembly etc), at special events such etc, children are eager to attend, behave respectfully and make us proud
At events such as the Wyton Marathon and cluster sports festival with other schools, children show resilience and self-control and participate without fear
All pupils are given equal opportunities to participate in concerts / shows / events and are encouraged to be the best they can be
Children demonstrate pride when they parents are in the audience
Members of the whole community come together for evening events and meet new people
School provides a range of opportunities, which value different types of learning and achievement – e.g. sports activities, interschool sports, swimming, judo, gardening, art, street dance, cooking –both within and outside of the school day so that each child will find something that they can enjoy and achieve
Children are encouraged to set themselves high targets – and achieve them!
You can see children developing a sense of pride and willingness to demonstrate their skills to others
On residentials children develop different skills sets
Children show a sense in pride in their house teams
School Council support and help to plan events / activities and all are children are eager to take responsibility / ownership for fundraising
Events reflect pupil voice - Big Conversations help to inform planning for events children want, such as Laser Quest
Older children are acting as role models and ‘helpers’ for younger children – chosen as a reward for consistent good behaviour

• However, groups concluded that although our current aims are still relevant and ‘living’, they may need some ‘tweaking’, particularly to include the promotion of values such as ‘diversity’ and ‘equality’, since these are not instantly visible in the school’s 2009 aims. This could be achieved by adding a further aim:

“Fostering the attitudes and experiences that will enable our children to value diversity and equality”

• Groups also concluded that a further ‘tweak’ needed to be made in terms of the language of the aims, in order to make them more instantly accessible to all stakeholders, because they are necessarily quite ‘wordy’ and long. It was felt that the school needed a summary statement, which would encapsulate the values and principles underpinning the longer aims: if we want people to understand what our school is about, communication is the key.
• Before working in groups to write such a statement, groups worked together to identify a set a shared / common values, because all missions must be underpinned by the values of the group. This was achieved through the ‘Diamond Nine’ discussion activity, which asked groups to rank a set of values in order of importance within the context of the school’s purpose:

Through this activity, the following set of common / shared values emerged:

Independence

Aspiration

Inclusivity

Equality

Respect

Individuality

Creativity

Some groups also felt that happiness should rank highly amongst the values of the school. Whilst the Senior Leadership Team agree that happiness is important, the Head teacher pointed out that happiness was a ‘state’, rather than a ‘value’, and that children’s state of happiness was too dependent on factors beyond the school’s control for it to be achievable for every child and suggested instead

Enjoyment

• Having established a set of shared values, groups were then tasked with writing a clear, concise mission statement to reflect these values, using Forbes’ Guide.
• Groups shared their mission statements, which showed some duplication in terms of concept and this was considereda positive by the group, in that groups’ mission statements evidence a shared vision and direction for the school, underpinned by common values, with the only real differences being the language in which the mission was articulated.

Next steps:

• A small group of representative stakeholders have selected the 3 most representative mission statements and staff, governor and parent groups will be asked to vote on the one they feel the school should adopt. The mission statement with the largest number of votes will then be reviewed and ‘tweaked’ again before it is published via the school’s website, not least to include the children’s suggestions, which are recorded in the school’s Big Conversation archives.

The 3 most representative mission statements were as follows:

A)Our mission: Encouraging all members of the school community to be the best they can be, through the development of independent learning skills to create good citizens of the future.

B)Our mission: Inspiring and empowering independent, life-long learning through engagement and inclusion, to create well-rounded citizens and unique individuals.

C)Our mission: Aspiring to achieve higher standards, through teamwork (teachers, students and parents). This is to be established on a foundation of equality, integrity and knowledge with enjoyment and expressing individuality and rising to the challenge.

• Joint work undertaken on revising the schools mission provides an excellent basis for implementing the new curriculum in September, as it will inform all changes.

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