NEWTONS PRIMARY SCHOOL

PROMOTING BRITISH VALUES

We have a strong sense of community and ethos of mutual respect and care to ensure that pupils are kind and supportive of one another where incidents of bullying are rare.  The mission statement, ‘together we reach for our personal best’, is lived out in the positive behaviours of the pupils who are committed to working towards their personal goals.

The school is an inclusive environment where the needs of pupils and families from a wide range of backgrounds have been carefully considered and provided for.  Pupils are presented with an exciting range of opportunities, both within and outside of school, that they might otherwise not be able to access, and they are rewarded for their learning behaviours rather than attainment alone, so that all pupils can experience success.

In addition to the supportive nature of the school community itself the staff are committed to reaching out to the local community and work hard to engage parents.

The school prayer is displayed in both halls and is known by all pupils.  Pupils are mindful of the need to respect one another’s religions. Those of faiths other than Christianity are generally willing to engage in Christian celebrations and, where they may be unable to access certain tasks, work is differentiated to take into account their needs.

In RE lessons, pupils and staff from a range of faith backgrounds are invited to speak from personal experience.  At all times, pupils treat one another’s different views and experiences with great respect. Texts such as War Horse , There’s a boy in the girl’s bathroom and Mr Popper’s Penguins are chosen so that pupils can develop the key skill of empathy by considering events from different perspectives.

The pupils have a sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about the natural world through such opportunities as the garden area and the animal management club.  With regard to their academic work, well-understood assessment for learning practices allow pupil space for reflection.  They have opportunities to respond to next steps marking and self-assess their work.

The school has been focusing on raising the profile of reading at all key stages and the library is now an area that invites the use of imagination and creativity.  The pupils speak about the value of reading and are positive about the development of fostering a love for reading. 

In addition, pupils are encouraged to ‘reach for (their) personal best’ through participation in fun, optional literacy and maths challenges.   Questions for pupils at KS1 and KS2 are displayed and updated on a weekly basis with pupils responding by posting their answers in plastic wallets.

The school’s behaviour policy is consistently followed across the school and is differentiated according to the age of the pupils with older pupils given opportunities to reflect on their behaviours for learning.  Pupils as young as Y1 are able to show a good understanding of the behaviour policy and can speak of ‘consequences’ for poor behaviour. Rewards are given consistently for good behaviour and for achieving learning goals.

How do our pupils demonstrate British Values?

The pupils take interest in topics in the news and are taught to listen to both sides of a story to consider how other people feel. They regularly watch newsround and discuss the news items in a considered manner.  They enjoy engaging in debates and believe it is important to listen to the viewpoints of others.

The pupils are often observed to be co-operating extremely well together in class.  Where difficulties with friendships arise,  pupils feel that their teachers help as needed and that the playleaders also ‘help people to do the right thing’.

The pupils are aware that, across the school, their friends come from a range of cultural and faith backgrounds; key festivals and notable dates in the calendar (such as Diwahli, Eid, Remembrance Day etc.) are celebrated consistently within individual classes and through assemblies.

Pupils participate in a wide range of artistic, sporting and cultural opportunities with sporting provision such as boccia and pentathlons available to those with disabilities.

Art displays across the school are of a high quality with special pieces of work being included in a mini gallery and pupils in Y2/3 are provided with free violin lessons. 

The languages of pupils learning EAL are valued and given a high profile with a different language being celebrated and taught every half-term.

The pupils speak very positively about the school and feel that it is a respectful place where their teachers make the lessons fun.

The school council are involved in making key decisions within the school and local community, including voting on the naming of roads within the local area.

When citing why they like the school, pupils speak about their maths and literacy lessons, the sporting and PE opportunities and the wide range of extra- curricular activities that are available to them.

Assembly themes