At Holme Hall Primary School, we offer a safe, and nurturing environment in which our children aim high, enjoy their learning and work hard together to achieve success. We care deeply for each other and encourage kindness and respect towards one another so that everyone in the school feels happy and valued at all times.
Collaboration is central to our ethos and we have worked together as a whole school community to agree three key elements which can be seen in every aspect of our school curriculum. Our work with stakeholders provided us with a useful starting point from which to then formulate our vision and six core values which underpin everything we do; this encapsulates our ‘why’ here at Holme Hall.
These three key ideas, Ambition, Community and Equality, along with the following core values, drive our work, inform our thinking and give shape to our curriculum:
Aspiration
We aim to provide the very best education for our children so that they develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful, caring citizens of the world. We want them to aim high and know that anything is possible if they work hard and do their best. The work is challenging and expectations are high but we support every child so that they are successful in their work. We provide an ambitious curriculum, rich in cultural capital, which ensures that the children in our community are equipped with the knowledge, aspiration, experience, self-belief and skill-set necessary to reach their potential and see the world as accessible to them.
Courage
We provide a safe and supportive environment which allows the children to take risks in their learning, believe in themselves as independent learners and know that it’s ok to make mistakes; that making mistakes helps us learn. We believe that each of our children is capable of achieving what they want to achieve and we want them to believe that too. We aim to give our children the courage to stand up for what they believe in and the confidence and skills they need to articulate their ideas and express their views so that they can challenge injustice and make a difference.
Collaboration
We work together as a staff team to provide the very best education for the children of Holme Hall. We work closely with parents and members of the community and all stakeholders have a say in the way we do things at school. We offer opportunities for children to work collaboratively and we encourage them to support each other in their learning as well as in their friendships. As a staff team we model collaboration and we involve the children in decision making when developing and improving systems in school. We invite children to apply for roles within school which will allow them to work in partnership each other as well as with members of the staff team, support other children within school and take responsibility in different areas of learning.
Enjoyment
Ours is a curriculum full of interest, which inspires and stimulates the children so that they want to know more. We want them to enjoy their time at school and to love their learning so that they are motivated to succeed. We offer a wide range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities designed to motivate and inspire our learners. Our topics are knowledge-rich but also include many opportunities for real-life experience that will enhance learning and inspire curiosity. Our hooks for learning and authentic outcomes provides clear context and this encourages the children to invest in their learning. Working towards outcomes such as exhibitions and presentations, the children enjoy producing work that is of a high standard as they know it will be valued by a wider audience. We work hard and play hard too because we know that by providing a positive environment where joy and happiness is valued, children will love their time at school and enjoy developing the skills necessary to become deep thinking, confident young learners with a thirst for knowledge and an open mind.
Kindness
We provide a loving and caring environment, in which our children understand the importance of relationships. We nurture and support our children in their friendships, and insist that they choose kindness every time. Compassion is taught through our curriculum and through learning about the challenges faced by some people in the world, our children are encouraged to develop a sense of empathy through an understanding of injustice and disadvantage. As well as insisting on kindness to others, we remind the children to be kind to themselves as well, encouraging reflection and self-care in a bid to promote emotional wellbeing.
Respect
We foster in our children a deep respect for others. At Holme Hall everyone has the right to feel respected and valued and we work hard to instil in children the importance of good manners and conduct. Respect is central to our Star Learners’ Code and it is through this system that we teach our children this core value. We promote an ethos of respect and empathy where diversity is recognised, valued and embraced, both within school and the wider world. We make sure that the resources we use and the content we teach is inclusive and representative of marginalised groups so that our children will understand, respect and celebrate the diversity of wider society. Representation matters in terms of inclusion and equality and we have an important role to play in the way children see themselves and others in society.
