Ethos, Vision and Values Statement

 Millfield Primary School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

The vision of staff and governors is for Millfield Primary School to be a centre of excellence where children receive high quality learning experiences, make the best possible progress and achieve at the highest possible level.

 At Millfield Primary School we believe that all pupils should thrive academically, socially and emotionally - learning how to make a positive contribution to our local community.

In order to achieve this vision we strive for our school to be a school which:

• Is reflective, ambitious and relentless in its drive for continual improvement and excellence
• Is a challenging, stimulating and rewarding place for children and staff to learn and work
• Supports children to be happy, curious, positive, and resilient with high self- esteem and self-belief, who love to learn, contribute fully and achieve well
• Encourages children to develop as confident learners who learn well with and from others, enjoy challenge and appreciate constructive criticism, understand the learning process, are resilient and recognise that success comes through effort, practice and perseverance.
• Offers an attractive, safe, stimulating environment for teaching, learning and play, and is well organised, staffed and managed to achieve the highest standards
• Provides a dedicated team of staff who are committed to developing children’s knowledge, skills, attitudes and understanding and inspires them to enjoy learning, achieve success and feel content and fulfilled
• Is inclusive, with high aspirations and ambition for all pupils and enables each and every pupil to make the very best progress and achieve the very best results they are capable of
• Recognises and celebrates success
• Provides full and genuine equality of opportunity for all
• Has the full confidence of parents and carers who work with the school in positive partnership and are involved in decisions affecting their children's education and learning.

Promoting Fundamental 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, and these values have been reiterated in 2014 (click here for DfE document - November 2014). At Millfield Primary School these values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways.

Democracy

Children are listened to and are taught to listen carefully to others. Children are taught to respect the right of individuals to have their voices and opinions heard. They are taught to discuss issues in a balanced and calm way.

At the beginning of each school year in each classroom children work together with staff to agree the rules for their classroom. Our school council meets regularly and discusses issues raised in class or as a whole school. each council member is voted for by their own class.

Children have an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school.

The rule of law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school or the country are consistently reinforced at Millfield Primary School.

Children are taught the value and the reason behind the rules and the laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibility this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as local councillors, street wardens, local police and the fire service help to reinforce this message.

Individual liberty

At our school, children are actively encourage to make the right choices, knowing they are in a safe and supportive environment. Children are expected to take responsibility for their own actions and to understand the consequence their actions might have. We educate and provide boundaries for children to enable them to make informed choices, through a safe and supportive environment. The understanding of rights and responsibilities are promoted through acts of collective worship, e safety, PSHE. These messages are reinforced through school assemblies and classroom activities.

Mutual respect

Respect for others and themselves is a key value at our school. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect.

Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Millfield Primary School is situated in an area that is not culturally diverse. The school therefore  recognises its important role in preparing children for life in modern Britain. We actively promote celebrations of different faiths and cultures. Through RE and personal  and social education we reinforce messages of tolerance and respect.

The curriculum

Staff regularly review the curriculum to ensure that it promotes the areas above. It also ensures that pupils are taught about key events and figures in history. Events during the year celebrate culturally diverse occasions and memorable events taking place in the country.

At Millfield Primary School we will actively challenge children, staff or parents who express opinions that are contrary to fundamental British values including extremist views.