Community and Living Together
As a school body, the main focus and responsibility of all stake holders is to ensure that pupils demonstrate Christian values in their lives and relationships with others, to help people to flourish. The vision of the school sits beneath all policies and decisions which affect pupils and is lived out daily within a culture of care, encouragement, hope and compassion. People can only flourish when they are happy, confident and safe and this view underpins the direction of the school as a partnership of many bodies working together. A clear and effective emphasis on Christian values has given long-term consistency to pupils’ growth as individuals to take with them wherever they go. Values are integral to our practice in natural and effective ways, as reflected in the ethos, the fabric of the building and in the policies related to this strand.
Behaviour
Our Behaviour Policy is based on love, forgiveness and compassion, with reconciliation at its core- we are all equal and no one’s needs are more important than anyone else’s. The Golden Rule – ‘do unto others…’ is derived from the biblical text which underpins the mission statement to ‘Love your Neighbour’. When dealing with incidents we directly refer to these and children are given time to reflect on their actions and the impact these have had on others. We use the model of restorative justice and encourage empathy and respect alongside forgiveness and reconciliation. Adults in our school model the positive behaviours and language that we wish our children to use, ensuring that policy is applied fairly and consistently. Children know that at St. Anne’s every day is a fresh start, therefore they have a clear sense of right and wrong and are able to apply this to the wider world.
Celebration and Success
The concept of the school rules, used to communicate Christian values, is articulated by the children on a daily basis through various opportunities, including worship. Pupil involvement in school and class rules, guided by the associated values, takes place through our online Behaviour Management Scheme, which allows pupils to track their own actions and those of others. This gives them ownership and understanding of the moral code which makes behaviour and relationships within school a real position of strength. It is characterised by showing kindness and consideration towards one another, demonstrating politeness and respect for adults and exhibiting good manners in everything. Further reinforcement is provided through our status as a UNICEF Rights Respecting School, thus both Behaviour and Rights Respecting Charters sit side by side in each classroom. Positive actions are highlighted in weekly Celebration Worship, where success is celebrated across a wide range of different avenues and a range of school and home-based talents are nurtured through our collective drive to be the best that we can be.
Supported by the Anti-Bullying pupil voice team, the school has been successful in gaining the BIG National Anti-Bullying Award for the past five years.
Attendance and Punctuality
Great emphasis is placed on attendance, so that our pupils can grow and develop resilience; this supports our aspiration for excellence to permeate all areas of school life. Attendance is high (consistently above local and national figures), reflecting the welcoming environment and enlivening curriculum, which nurture children’s enthusiasm and thirst for learning. Pupils’ commitment to attending regularly is strong, as is their desire to arrive at school on time, with punctuality deemed of equal importance.
Promoting Good Mental Health
The positive and supportive atmosphere in school ensures that pupils feel safe and happy here and the contribution of parental/ carer involvement is valued. In this, the pastoral role of the Chaplain and Community Coordinator is key, providing an additional layer of support through quality time to work with pupils, parents, carers and families. Maintaining morning gate duty makes her accessible as a first point of contact, if required. School works closely with families to ensure that pupils have access to their education and are positive about learning; these strong relationships ensure fast intervention should a situation deteriorate.
For wellbeing, children are aware that they can self-refer and have a safe space to share their concerns. Pastoral support is provided on three levels: class-based, the chaplain/community coordinator or for more specialised cases, the school’s trained Thrive Champion. Whatever the more appropriate, pupils are helped to address issues, gain the necessary skills and see a way through.
The school adopts an holistic approach to combining mental and physical health. Our Director of Sports promotes active lifestyles via daily after-school sport clubs, cluster festivals or competitions, sponsored outdoor challenges and the annual Upper KS2 residential, as well as his lunchtime supervision of ‘jog and chat’ and the Year 6 trained play leaders. In both curriculum and after-school time (Bushcraft Club), the Outdoor Education programme for KS2 is led by a specialist from a feeder comprehensive, enhancing the existing KS1 Forest School programme. Collective Worship and Prayer Space events equally complement PSHE in supporting emotional well-being, with the Rights Respecting Wellbeing Charter written with pupil input. The Mindfulness Programme was previously integrated into Forest School sessions, however to embed this more deeply in response to COVID, we are using the Contemplative Practices resource. Work around emotional and mental health is further supported via extra-curricular initiatives, such as Laughter Yoga, Relax Kids and Rainbow’s End. Our annual participation in Mental Health Awareness Week had a major focus during lockdown with online resources for ‘be kind to your mind’ accompanied by an e- brochure for parents and carers. All- round mental health and wellbeing is promoted for every member of the school community, including staff; to this end, the Chaplain achieved a Mental Health First Aid qualification, to support the Staff Wellbeing Policy.
