Our Vision, Aims and Values

At Oakthorpe we always strive to be a centre of excellence. We are at the heart of the community, preparing children for their future lives as successful learners, confident individuals and responsible citizens. We maintain a positive, celebratory and inclusive ethos; sustain trusting and supportive teams and relationships; and uphold our high standards and expectations, while not being afraid to take risks and be innovative and creative. Ensuring that we give all children the opportunity to succeed and enjoy learning is our overriding priority.

In our multi-cultural school we aim to:

• Support and encourage all children to fulfil their true potential and to achieve the highest possible standards in all they do
• Provide a happy, caring and stimulating environment where everyone is respected and children enjoy learning
• Ensure all children feel safe and are able to make safe choices now and, in the future,
• Encourage good manners and courtesy, and consideration for each other
• Value every member of our school as an individual whilst learning to live in a community
• Recognise the contribution that each of us (adults and children) makes towards the success of the school and to involve everyone who has an interest in decision making
• Promote true partnerships between staff, children and parents
• Build strong partnerships with members of the wider community, playing an active role within our local community and the wider global community
• Provide a broad, creative and innovative curriculum enhanced by experiences beyond the school environment which develops enthusiasm for learning and meets the needs of all our children
• Help each child to develop an enquiring mind and be confident and secure in their own abilities, taking risks with their learning and pride in their achievements
• Encourage independent, collaborative learning
• Encourage children to take responsibility for their own behaviour, learning and development

Our children, staff and governors, in consultation with parents, have agreed 22 values. One value is assigned to each month on a two-year rota so that over a child’s time at Oakthorpe, they will focus on each value three times.

We have identified 5 core values which relate to each of the others:

*respect *creativity 

*responsibility

*excellence * confidence

Our values underpin our ethos and support us in raising standards and developing the whole child as confident, independent and responsible people in a caring, happy, safe and purposeful environment. 

• hold a weekly values assembly based on the value of the month, allowing children to become familiar with the language and ideas.
• Inform parents of our values so they can reinforce them at home.
• Have a clear set of class rules decided with the children: the rules are then real and meaningful for the children.
• Teach children good manners and how to manage their emotions
• Have high expectations and clear boundaries: the foundation of good values require good discipline.
• Give children opportunities to reflect on their behaviour and their learning to help them take responsibility for themselves and others
• Reward children for developing and demonstrating the values, for example, in our Child of the Week assemblies
• Take opportunities to discuss values within the curriculum.
• As staff, try to live the values in the way we work and communicate with each other, with children and with parents. Children learn best when they see behaviours modelled by adults