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The Downley School

“Learning, Growing and Succeeding Together”

Aims and Ethos

 

'Learning, Growing and Succeeding Together'.

The Downley School Vision

Aims:

➢ To be resilient and face challenges

➢ To be inspired

➢ Appreciate diversity and embrace difference

➢ To be part of a community where they belong, take responsibility and contribute

➢ Know how to stay safe and healthy, both physically and mentally

➢ Be prepared

➢ Be independent

➢ Have a strong sense of right and wrong and act upon this

➢ Effectively communicate, seizing all opportunities

 

Ethos:

➢ Inclusive environment

➢ 21st century curriculum that is deep and rich

➢ Holistic approach

➢ Fun, exciting, kind, respectful

➢ Child centred

➢ High quality

➢ Learning and improving

➢ Bold and ambitious

➢ Safe

➢ Life long

Thank you to everyone who contributed to our vision. 

Alongside our commitment to the vision of the School, we believe in being inclusive across all areas. Our curriculum is designed to be accessible to all. It embeds a rich, multicultural approach through our work in SMSC, Values, RE and British Values. We look for opportunities to share knowledge and practice, including trips to places of worship, visitors invited to talk to us, participation in religious and traditional events e.g. pancake races, the festivals of Harvest, Diwali and Holi. We promote engagement with our community whenever possible to support a sense of belonging and support. We celebrate differences and promote tolerance.

Within safeguarding, we aim to protect all children from harm. We have robust systems that are regularly updated and tested to ensure compliance and understanding. Our Designated Safeguarding Lead is Ms Leanne Dandridge (Interim Headteacher) and Mrs Anne Perry (Deputy Headteacher); our Additional Designated Leads are Mrs Perrottet, Ms Aslett and Mrs Wilding and our Safeguarding Governor is Mrs Perkins. All staff support children and families, and we also operate a mentor system where staff are allocated as mentors and may be mentoring a range of children at any one time. Children have access to the staff as and when they feel the need. Once a week, the children can visit their mentor to touch base or talk about things that are important to them. We also have a Welfare Check-in Meeting every week when the Family Worker, Inclusion team and Headteacher look together through all noted incidents of behaviour or reports of children that may need support which are held on our electronic system. These are followed up, and the children may be given a mentor to help them at that time. Some of our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils have been given extensive training in how to be Peer Mentors and are able to support their peers or younger children, under the guidance of The Family Worker throughout the year.

Our curriculum is designed with children's well-being, both physical and mental, at its core. Our belief is that happy, safe children will learn and thrive. We aim to provide a 21st century curriculum inside the school building and a curriculum for the 'whole child' within the school grounds and beyond. Children have at least one session learning outside the classroom every week, no matter the weather.