Values and Ethos

At Highfield, we believe that all of our children have the right to achieve their full potential. They will feel safe and secure in a nurturing environment that inspires and promotes a life-long love of learning.

We expect all children to consistently ‘Behave the Highfield way’. This behaviour is underpinned by our Highfield Heroic Values, and our three School Rules.

Our Highfield Heroic Values are:

  • Empathy
  • Honesty
  • Resilience
  • Self-belief
  • Kindness
  • Pride

Our School Rules are:

  • Ready
  • Respect
  • Safe

These principles underpin the school’s ethos.

British Values

The DfE have recently 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. At our school, these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:

Democracy is an essential part of our school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard at all levels. These include:

  • Through our School Council
  • Through our Sports Council
  • Pupil questionnaires
  • Elections of counsellors

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws from the earliest age, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police; Fire Service; Ambulance etc. are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.

Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through of provision of a safe environment and empowering education. We actively use the curriculum to promote this. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.

Part of our school ethos and relationship policy has revolved around values such as ‘Respect’, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what this means and how it is shown. We have a cycle of themes to our assemblies which are based around the SEAL curriculum. Respect for others is reiterated through our classroom rules, as well as our relationship policy.

This is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity including visits to religious buildings. 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.