Our Vision and Values

In order to achieve our vision of ‘Learning to Grow and Succeed Together’, we have adopted a set of core values around which school development is planned. These values are a result of consultation with all members of our school community.

British Values

At Ellen Wilkinson Primary School we ensure that through our school vision, values, rules, curriculum and teaching we promote tolerance and respect for all cultures, faiths and lifestyles. We value the ethnic backgrounds of all our children and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate and explore these alongside other cultures in our country.

The Department for Education’s five-part definition of British values is:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Democracy

Our children have many opportunities for their voices to be heard. We promote democratic processes such as our JGB whose members are voted for by the children. Ideas and events are planned and discussed with a chance for debate, giving opportunities for different points of view.

We have a Junior governing body who are invited to work alongside staff and governors in the employment of new staff and regularly participate in the interview process by being given the opportunity to speak to prospective candidates and to ask questions.

We have a Junior governing body who meet weekly to discuss issues in the school. They  review our Anti-Bullying Charter and discuss shared values. We are in a privileged position that our school building is used as a polling station for elections, giving us the opportunity to gain some understanding of how voting works.

We hold consultation meetings which work with the school and wider community, regarding school development and wellbeing.

In addition, we have a weekly newsletter to communicate with parents and carers and a website with access to school policies.

The rule of law

The importance of Laws, be it 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.

As part of our curriculum, we learn about British and international History, and how some countries are run.

We learn about rules in sport/games as part of our PE lessons. We have visits from the designated community police officer. We organise workshops with visits from the fire brigade and Year 6 attend a citizenship day within the local authority, whose partners include TfL (Transport for London) and local police, to learn about rules in our community. We will continue to participate with a project in year 5 which links with the Royal Courts of Justice and the House of Parliament. In addition, at the start of each academic year all classes from years 1-6 complete a British unit which covers the rule of law as well as how our democratic system works.

We have a statement of values and systems and a policy for discipline and behaviour, sanctions and rewards.

Individual liberty

Our children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety lessons.

Ellen Wilkinson Primary ensures every individual achieves their best through high expectations for all, which focus on confidence, creativity and care. Through our teaching of PSHE/Citizenship, we develop an understanding of human and children’s rights and responsibilities.

Mutual respect

Respect is one of our core values which is discussed in depth. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. Our Behaviour Policy engulfs our basic belief in mutual respect. This is integral in classroom rules and is reinforced in day to day teaching and assemblies. All staff promote and demonstrate respect for others. This is also reflected in older students in their roles as House Captains and Ambassadors, as well as those who represent the Junior governing body. Achievement is celebrated across the school; in Achievement assemblies, through letters to parents and through our website and newsletter.

By being socially and emotionally intelligent, understanding about themselves and each other, our children will make the right choices and experience positive relationships now and in the future.

Our phase assembly Collective Worship follows themes that have recently included care, citizenship, charity, pupil voice, celebration, festivals, safety (including online safety) and personal development (PSHE Jigsaw). The whole school undertakes a minute’s silence in the playground in dedication to Remembrance Day.

 

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Ellen Wilkinson Primary school is situated in an area of great cultural diversity and we celebrate and promote diversity with our children.

This forms a cornerstone of the Ellen Wilkinson Primary community and we are proud to demonstrate the inclusivity of Newham schools. We teach children the values of their own opinions as well as those of others and demonstrate this through weekly performance assemblies where classes present on a variety of diverse topics to their peers, school staff, parents and governors. Examples of this include taking children out on educational visits to different places of worship, for example the local Christian church, synagogue, Gurdwara Temple and mosque and following the Newham Agreed Syllabus for Religious Education that educates children about all the main belief systems in the UK.