Graveney Primary School
‘Learning and Achieving Together’
Our Governors’ Strategic Vision Statement is based on the principles of Every Child Matters. At Graveney Primary School we believe that every child has the right to:
Be healthy
Stay Safe
Enjoy and Achieve
Make a positive contribution and
Achieve economic well-being
We want every child in our school to:
Be a successful learner
Engage
Shine and
Reach for the stars!
This means that we are committed to providing a happy, secure, safe and purposeful environment where our children can learn successfully and develop fully and seek to:
Value every individual acknowledging their uniqueness and their different skills and attributes.
Work with every child and their family to ensure that their learning needs are met and that they achieve the highest standards possible.
Provide wide-ranging opportunities to support every child’s all-round personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Encourage every individual to have high aspirations, recognising their own potential and supporting others in achieving theirs.
Therefore we will:
Respect each individual as a unique child who is accepted as part of our diverse school community where we promote life choices which support the health and well-being of the individual
Endeavour to provide a safe and secure environment in which our children feel supported and encouraged from all staff that care for them. This will include fostering respect for self, other children and adults and the world around us.
Provide wide-ranging academic and personal development opportunities that encourage each individual to enjoy and achieve and be their best
Develop each child’s skills, attributes and capacities that enable them to develop high aspirations with enquiring minds and the ability to listen and question, to encourage self-motivation, self-discipline and make positive contributions.
Encourage a strong partnership with parents, staff and governors who have a genuine pride in the education and social development of the children, the school and the wider community.
In support of this we provide a broad and balanced curriculum that:
Promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, academic and physical developments of pupils in our school and of society and prepares our pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
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."
At Graveney these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
Democracy:
Democracy is a principle that we uphold in our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through class debates and discussions, our School Council and pupil questionnaires. Each class has a regular opportunity to share ideas and to contribute, with the class representative taking forward their views. Most recently, we have asked the children for their opinions on our school values, what they believe is important to all of us in school. Children will often be asked for their views through assemblies, in classes and through our School Council. They have recently had a large input into the review of our Behaviour Management Policy.
The Rule of Law:
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Every year each class sets their rules and codes of conduct in the first week of term as part of their PHSE lesson. As they are included in setting them, children understand why the rules matter and also recognise the significance of not adhering to these agreed rules. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.
Individual Liberty:
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. We provide a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and our school curriculum allows for opportunities for pupils to be given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect:
Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy has revolved around Core Values such as 'Respect', and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. The school encourage positive behaviours and promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our Golden Rules and Eco-School Code, as well as our behaviour policy.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:
This is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. Different cultural experiences and diversity are celebrated and shared amongst the school community.