LIVING VALUESA Practical Guide to putting values at the heart of our Primary School

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VAlueS:DeciDinG Which OneS

VAlueS: The SchOOl enVirOnmenT

VAlueS: BuilDinG YOur TeAm

VAlueS:GuiDinG PrinciPleS FOr The GOVerninG BODY

VAlueS: inFOrminG POlicY

VAlueS: SPiriTuAl DeVelOPmenT

VAlueS: cOllecTiVe WOrShiP

VAlueS: AcrOSS The curriculum

VAlueS: hOme/SchOOl linkS

VAlueS: The OuTSiDe SPAce

VAlueS: inSPecTiOn

VAlueS: SecOnDArY - PrimArY linkS

reSOurceS AnD SuPPOrT

inTrODucTiOn

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VALUES: The School environmenTPrimary Schools are vibrant, colourful and

interactive learning environments where

those things that are important in the life of

the school community are “visualised” and

celebrated in displays and installations in and

around the building.

At St Andrew’s School in Chedworth the staff

team pays great attention to giving their core

values a high visual profile.

In this chapter Mrs Tina Buck, headteacher and

Mrs Angharad Fitch, RE Co-ordinator, take us on

a tour around their school.

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The headteacher of St Andrew’s describes the ways in which values are made

explicit in the shared areas of the school. As every teacher knows the children

in each class have a variety of different learning styles and many will be visual

learners. We, therefore, ensure that our displays are bold, well-designed and

interactive to engage children and encourage them to reflect on how the value

in focus can be lived out day by day.

As soon as visitors enter our school we want them to be made aware of the

particular values that are special to us as a christian community. We have been

inspired by a display at cam hopton Primary School that shows each value as a

flower. The children there have done some research and discovered that different

values have a flower associated with them. We have decided to base our new

entrance display on this excellent idea. Our value for this term is Generosity,

so we will ‘plant’ gladioli!

in the shared area between the classrooms is a reflection station based this term on

the Parable of The Great Feast. Pause to reflect on Values, published by Jumping

Fish, gives examples of interactive reflective areas to illustrate different values. The

pack gives an A4 photograph of the display and on the reverse full details of how

to use it with children. See below.

The “growing” values display at Cam Hopton School

“...ensure that our displays are bold, well-designed and interactive...”

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This is our version of The Big Party, based on Jesus’ teaching in the Parable of The Great Feast (Luke 14)

As children make their way to the hall for collective worship there is a reminder of

the particular aspect of the value which is the theme for the week.

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Our lunchtime supervisors are very involved in promoting positive behaviour in

the playground and reinforcing the current value in their informal and incidental

conversations with the children. each week they nominate a particular child who

has demonstrated the value in an outstanding way. The courtesy cup is presented

to that pupil during our celebration worship on Friday each week.

Throughout the term we encourage children to look out for both local and national

newspaper reports of real life examples of people demonstrating the value of

Generosity in the public domain. This helps us all to appreciate that there is a lot

of good news in the world and that most people are trying to make the world a

better place.

Indi received the Courtesy Cup for showing generosity to others

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mrs Fitch explains that in each classroom there is a display or reflection activity

which interprets the value in a way that is appropriate to the year group. This

term her class created a GenerosiTree. everyone invented and made an ‘exotic’

fruit to hang on the tree. When the fruit was flipped over the children had written

an example of what life might be like in the class if we were all generous to each

other.

in another class they have been thinking about what it means to give our time

generously. children make ’15 minute pledges’ to lend a hand to family or friends.

The pledge is then signed by both parties and the hands on the ‘generosity’ clock

are moved on a quarter of an hour. each time a twelve hour cycle is completed the

whole class has a fun treat! Some of the pledges have been very ingenious and

really encouraged children to think about different types of generosity, like being

patient when showing younger children how to play complicated games, sharing

their own stationery with others or giving generously from their pocket money

towards the work of our school charity.

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“When the fruit was flipped over the children had written an example of what life might be like in the class if we were all generous to each other.”

The child takes the cup home for the weekend and

returns it on monday to sit on the worship table until

the following Friday.

children are also invited to nominate other members

of the school community that they have witnessed

living out our special value during the week. They

do this by writing names on the laminated value

sheets posted around the school. This very simple

activity has really helped children to understand what

the value means in practice. During our celebration

worship, children are invited to come to the front

and encourage us all by talking about the positive

behaviour that they have seen and heard around the

school.

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class 3 has responsibility for caring for part of our spiritual garden. They have been

thinking about the words of Jesus in the Gospel of matthew,

“Your giving should be done in secret. Your Father will see what is done in

secret, and he will reward you.” (matthew 6 v 4)

each child is invited to plant a tiny nasturtium seed, as a symbol of a secret promise

that they make before God to show generosity to someone in need. When the

flowers bloom the children will be reminded that even the smallest act of kindness

can grow into something beautiful.

We are a small school and it takes precious time and energy for staff to think of

lots of creative ways to engage children visually. however, we have found that just

talking about good behaviour is not enough. learning is always multi-sensory and

the school environment offers so many opportunities to make the values thought

provoking, relevant, challenging and fun!