Ethos and Values
Our vision and values
Our core values permeate all that we do. In our achievement-orientated culture, teaching and learning is our highest priority. We want our students to be healthy and have a great life. We are deeply committed to opening the hearts and minds of our future-focused young people.
Hartland High School – Our core values
Work hard, be kind
Our mantra ‘work hard, be kind’ underpins everything we do as an academy. We teach our students how to work hard and be kind, and notice and reward it when they do.
For us, working hard means attending school every single day and arrive on time; following instructions first time, every time; having a go in lessons, even when unsure; having the courage to try something new through our enrichment programme; completing homework to the highest standard; demonstrating self-discipline at home by limiting screentime and prioritising sleep. All our staff, whatever their role, work hard to create the best possible environment and experience for our students, motivated by the moral imperative of our work.
Being kind means that students are friendly and inclusive to everyone in our school, developing supportive friendships; they address each other and staff members politely and respectfully; they are sensitive to and tolerant of other people’s differences; they understand other people’s needs; they never take away never anyone else’s right to learn by disrupting their lesson; they you take pride in our school environment by not dropping litter - and more. For our staff, being kind often means holding students to high standards, in the knowledge that letting students off is letting them down. We operate a warm-strict approach, recognising that all students possess the innate desire to do well and do the right thing.
Our Five Pillars
Our vision for the school is built on five pillars. We believe that these five pillars are all equally important in lifting the ceiling on what our students can achieve and creating an environment in which students truly thrive.
Academic Excellence
Our students will get exceptional GCSE and A Level results that allow them to choose their futures, whether this is going to the best universities in the country, the best degree apprenticeships, or the best careers. Our classrooms will nourish a lifelong love of learning; students will value the importance of knowledge and understanding.
Character Education
Our students will grow and develop personally, within and beyond the classroom. We teach them to be organised, self-disciplined, courageous, resilient, empathetic, responsible, articulate, confident and reflective. Our enrichment programme, including an exceptional sports pathway, allows all students to enjoy experiences beyond the curriculum; our tutor time reading programme is carefully selected to ensure exposure to a broad cultural canon of literature; we have fun together, with weekly Fun Friday activities, and notice and celebrate successes.
Pastoral Care
We know that teenagers today are faced with a broad array of challenges that present barriers to their development; we know that for many of our students there will be setbacks and difficulties on their journey through school with us. Our calm, purposeful, structured and consistent environment is the first and most important step in providing safety, inclusivity and respite for our most vulnerable students. Alongside this our Mountain Rescue provision picks up students who are in need and supports them; our safeguarding systems ensure all students are safe and protected from harm; our exceptional heads of year provide a point of pastoral contact for parents and carers and students.
Community Involvement
We strongly believe that our community is one of our greatest assets and that your support and investment in our development as a school will be critical to our success. Whitley is characterised by a strong local identity, with community members that support and look after each other. We are proud that our facilities are home to many local organisations, not least the Reading Rockets many of whose younger basketball players are students at our school.
Investment in Staff
Our staff are mission-critical: without them, we will never achieve a world-class school for our students and this is what they deserve. Greenshaw Learning Trust is committed to developing the careers of all staff, whatever their role. We work across our schools locally and nationally to share expertise and seek always to improve. We make no compromises when hiring staff and will never take someone on ‘just to fill a gap’. We look after our staff, taking proactive steps to manage workload, seeking their feedback as key stakeholders, and ensuring that Hartland High School is a place they feel proud to work.
British values
Hartland High School is committed to serving its community. Our community is an ever-changing, multi-cultural, multi-faith community, and at the centre of this is the acceptance of the key British values promoted at Hartland High School. We believe that by promoting these core values, our learners will be able to grow as individuals and British citizens in our community and areas in which they live, work, and socialise.
Hartland High School promotes British values through the curriculum, but also through our core values and ethos as well as opportunities beyond the classroom in formal lessons. Our core values of hard work, determination, empathy, integrity, and positivity permeate all that we do. In our achievement-orientated culture, teaching and learning is our highest priority. We want our students to be healthy and have a great life, and we are deeply committed to opening the hearts and minds of our future-focused young people. These values support and drive the development of British values:
The government set out its definition of 'British values' in its 'Prevent Strategy'; values of:
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Democracy.
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The rule of law.
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Individual liberty.
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Mutual respect.
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Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.
Democracy is taught within curriculum subjects such as history and citizenship. For example, students learn about the British electoral system and the idea of representation in the citizenship curriculum. In history, students learn how Britain remained a democracy after the First World War while many countries in Europe became dictatorships. The value of democracy is also encouraged in every lesson as students are encouraged to voice their opinion and ideas.
The rule of law is taught in many subjects. An example of this is where students are asked to consider the value of laws in citizenship lessons and decide for themselves whether we need laws. In KS5, ICT students will learn about the laws relating to data protection. All Hartland High School students study BTEC sport, where they learn about the laws and rules involved in sport as well as the laws involved in the health and safety of putting on sporting activities.
Individual liberty and what it means is a value covered in citizenship, where students learn about human rights. In history, students learn about those fighting for the liberty of people subject to discrimination and oppression. Students also learn about individual liberty and discrimination through PSHE weeks and the assembly programme.
In every lesson and throughout the academy, mutual respect is emphasised. In religious education, students are encouraged to respect the views of those from particular faith backgrounds and those without one. In lessons, students given the chance to peer mark and improve each other’s work, meaning that students are encouraged to appreciate each other’s efforts and skills.
Tolerance of those of different beliefs and faiths is not only a feature of RE but of other subject areas too. For example, in catering lessons, students learn about different cultures through studying themes such as cooking food for different faiths. A further example is that the academy ensures that, through the celebration of Black History Month each October, students learn about the achievements of different people from black and ethnic minorities.
In addition to the curriculum which students follow, there are many other opportunities and activities students participate in which underpin the promotion of British values. Student Voice activities give students a role in contributing to the life of the school as a learning community. There are many opportunities for students, including sports leaders, community work with the performing arts group, charity fundraising events, student-led assemblies, and the enrichment programme. Through the many sporting activities and clubs, such as those in the performing arts, students have the opportunity to learn and reflect on British values.