Statement of ethos and values
At Gordonbrock, we focus on providing a safe and nourishing environment where children feel accepted, included and able to take on new challenges. With this in place, we know that we can instil a love of learning in our children. We believe that high-quality, authentic relationships with all stakeholders are key. Our children are kind and compassionate and they take the lead in celebrating our commonalities and valuing and nurturing our differences.
We are committed to developing lifelong learners who value and exhibit qualities such as: aspiration, collaboration, resilience, creativity and self-expression.
We believe in the creation of a culture in which difficulty is seen, not just as normal, but as beneficial – where mistakes are seen as valuable. A mistake is another learning opportunity and children know that their classrooms are safe places to try new things.
We are committed to fair and equal access to the curriculum for all children, regardless of their starting points and taking into account any additional needs they may have. We are highly aspirational for all of our children and we do whatever it takes to enable them to overcome barriers to their learning. In many cases we have to think ‘outside the box’ if we are to ensure that a child maximises their potential. We work together to do what it takes to lift the lid on learning, and we do not give up.
In order to achieve our vision, we base our practice on the following:
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- An engaging, diverse and challenging curriculum, which reflects our pupils’ daily lived experiences and makes full use of the local community to enrich their learning
- Giving children ownership of their own learning and a role in planning a curriculum, which reflects their interests and questions
- Assessment for learning, using high-quality and well-respected research from experts such as Shirley Clarke and John Hattie
- A ‘brain-friendly’ approach based on what children need for optimal cognitive functioning, including growth mindset
- The use of ‘in the moment’ feedback and assessesment for learning to move learners on
- A robust behaviour policy based on the highest-quality relationships and mutual respect between all stakeholders
At Gordonbrock, expectations are high and excellence for all is the norm.