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Ethos and Values

Vision for Crookhorn College

At Crookhorn College we believe in ‘Excellence as Standard’

  • Excellence in teaching and learning
  • Excellence in the learning environment
  • Excellence in ethos and enrichment

We have four levers through which we strive to achieve the vision. Lever 1 and Lever 2 are all about the delivery of the vision. Lever 3 and Lever 4 are all about the support for the vision:

The focus within the four levers is the effective development of Blended Learning and an ethos within the College to close the attainment and opportunity gap and provide extensive enrichment for students and staff.

Lever 1 - Delivery of vision

Pedagogy and Curriculum Key focus areas:

  • Blended Learning
    To ensure the high-quality planning of all lessons where the ‘Big question’ is supported with relevant smaller components of learning and appropriate check for understanding activities.  As a result of the high-quality planning, lessons will be bespoke to classes and reviewed in light of students’ progress to support all attainment levels.
     
  • Memory Pedagogy
    All staff to develop an understanding of schema and the process for retrieval of key knowledge & skills.  Our students will become more confident in use of both Tier 2 (academic) and Tier 3 (subject specific) vocabulary. 
     
  • Closing the Gap
    All teaching staff to be confident in classroom pedagogy to support retrieval and retention of key knowledge and skills. To ensure that Crookhorn learners become increasingly confident and independent with their own learning, the College will implement the Developing Blended Learners Programme which is aimed from the start of Year 7 to grow student skills with the use of ‘itslearning’ and key revision strategies such as mind mapping.

    Staff to grow their knowledge and expertise of operating SEN friendly classrooms.  This will be supported through the embedding of the Rosenshine’s principles, mixed attaining teaching pedagogy and diverse assessment strategies.

Lever 2 - Delivery of vision

Ethos and Environment Key focus areas:

  • Ethos
    To grow the College ethos through the House system, and the 4 Cornerstones, OPEN MIND & Go WEST.  To raise the status and impact of student voice and through this promote British Values and student leadership.  To create a Mental Health Support Team within the Pastoral structure to support and grow student attendance, wellbeing, resilience and sense of inclusion. The College will develop extracurricular, challenge/ambition and enrichment opportunities for all students.
     
  • Transition and Primary links
    To enhance the experience of parents and students throughout the transition process to enable a smooth transition from KS2 to KS3 and KS4 to KS5. Staff expertise to be grown with Post 16 options including T levels and the College application process.  The primary links programme to be refreshed and Year 6 teachers to be offered opportunities to grow their understanding of the KS3 curriculum.
     
  • Closing the Gap
    To continue with the promotion of study club, the broader reach of the enrichment programme and to continue to improve the  intensive support for students unable to access mainstream learning.  The aim is to continue to reduce exclusions and persistent absence for the most vulnerable students.

Lever 3 - Support of vision

Staff Training Key focus areas:

  • Differentiated training plan:
    All College training time will be utilised to effectively develop the individual. Focus will continue to be on the implementation of teaching and learning strategies linked to effective blended learning.  Alongside this, staff will have training that develops their understanding of how they can contribute to safeguarding, equalities and the delivery of British Values within the College. The coaching programme will use instructional coaching to deliver the key training themes of the academic year.
     
  • Developing middle leader expertise:
    Selected middle leaders and aspiring middle leaders will be given the opportunity to access nationally acknowledged training programmes and qualifications to develop their effectiveness in their current role and beyond. Subject leaders will undertake training to ensure they can effectively monitor and support Teaching Assistants in the new College learning support model. They will also undertake training and monitoring activities to ensure they are proficient and knowledgeable in the practice linked to subject Deep Dives.
  • Support staff leadership:
    The support staff leadership model will be reviewed and revised to ensure that there are clear opportunities for leadership development for support staff within the College. Appropriate amendments will be made to the IPP process to support the new College support staff leadership model.

Lever 4 - Support of vision

Leadership Key focus areas for 22/23:

  • Learning Support team  restructure:
    To implement an efficient value for money model of Teaching Assistant deployment within the College which maximises effective support & progress for all students.
  • Quality of monitoring and accountability:
    To grow the accountability of staff for outcomes on the Performance Plan through the direct links with the appraisal process.  All staff to become confident in being able to exemplify their contribution to the achievement of the Performance Plan through their personal objectives. The support staff leadership is to be effective in providing a greater balance of accountability between support staff SLT & support staff middle leaders.  The supports staff coaching model is to be firmly embedded through the link to IPP objectives.
    All HOS and teachers within subjects are to be confident in articulating the intent of their subject and the way this is implemented through the curriculum  topics.

  • Progress of key action plans:
    All staff to be clear on the day-to-day process of safeguarding within the College.  Students and staff to be able to exemplify British values & safeguarding processes within the College.  The ethos of equality to be promoted across the College for students and staff so that all members of the community have a sense that their voice is heard.  Staff to feel well-supported in their roles so that they have a sense of enjoyment and fulfilment about their work.
 

The College Ethos

Everything we do at Crookhorn is underpinned by our four fundamental cornerstones of RESPECT, COMMITMENT, ACHIEVEMENT and RESPONSIBILITY, which are embodied in our Cornerstones Code:

THE CORNERSTONES CODE

  • I will RESPECT that at Crookhorn learning in the classroom is the priority.
  • I will be RESPECTFUL, polite and considerate at all times and follow the teachers’ directions in a positive manner.
  • I will show RESPECT for the College by wearing the College uniform in the correct way.
  • I will RESPECT other people’s property and listen and value their opinions.
  • I will RESPECT the College and class environment by eating only at lunch and break time and putting my rubbish in the bin.

  • I will take RESPONSIBILITY for my own learning.
  • I will take RESPONSIBILITY for the care of my environment, buildings, College grounds and community.
  • I will take RESPONSIBILITY for my actions and consider how they may affect the learning, health and safety of others.
  • I will take RESPONSIBILITY for how I move around the College.
  • I will act RESPONSIBLY by leaving valuables at home.

  • I will show COMMITMENT to my learning environment by keeping noise and disruption to a level that does not disturb the learning of others.
  • I will show COMMITMENT to my education by arriving on time to registration and lessons.
  • I will show COMMITMENT to my House team by supporting them through my participation in College and community events
  • I will ACHIEVE my potential by always bringing the correct equipment to each lesson
  • I will ACHIEVE my potential by making sure my behaviour enables me to focus on my personal achievement targets
  • I will work hard to ACHIEVE my potential in classwork and homework

Build resilience - go west

GO WEST has been developed to encourage our students to understand how they can build their resilience through four key daily activities; Walking, Eating, Sleeping and Talking.

Walking Eating Sleeping Talking
Taking regular walks and staying active can help increase self-esteem and improve your mental wellbeing and mood. Eating a well-balanced diet can help improve memory and provide you with the energy you need to keep active and healthy. A good night’s rest and a regular sleeping pattern can help reduce stress, increase happiness and make you more alert. Talking to someone about your worries can help put things into perspective, release tensions and help with finding solutions. 

Open mind

During the course of each year, we work hard to embed our Crookhorn philosophy for learning which is summed up in the acronym of OPEN MIND. Each strand of this is an essential element of what makes an independent, successful learner for life. We would expect to see our students embody these principles in day to day Crookhorn life and develop these skills as they progress through the College.

Both OPEN MIND and GO WEST are fundamental to the way Crookhorn College promotes well-rounded, independent and successful learners.


Promoting fundamental British values

At Crookhorn College we recognise the importance of actively promoting the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. In doing so, we intend to fulfil the DFE priorities which set out that schools should:

  • enable students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
  • enable students to distinguish right from wrong and to respect the civil and criminal law of England
  • encourage students to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative, and to understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality of the school and to society more widely;
  • enable students to acquire a broad general knowledge of and respect for public institutions and services in England
  • further tolerance and harmony between different cultural traditions by enabling students to acquire an appreciation of and respect for their own and other cultures
  • encourage respect for other people
  • encourage respect for democracy and support for participation in the democratic processes, including respect for the basis on which the law is made and applied in England
  • challenge opinions or behaviours in College that are contrary to fundamental British values.

Aims
At Crookhorn College we aim to develop the understanding of the fundamental British values through the following actions:

1. Democracy:

  • Provide students with a broad general knowledge of, and promote respect for, public institutions and services
  • Teach students how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process
  • Include in the curriculum information on the advantages and disadvantages of democracy and how it works in Britain
  • Encourage students to become involved in decision-making processes and ensure they are listened to in College
  • Hold ‘elections’ for key roles within the House system so students learn the importance of exercising their right to vote.
  • Help students to express their views
  • Teach students how public services operate and how they are held to account · Model how perceived injustice can be peacefully challenged

2. Rule of law

  • Ensure our College Code of Conduct and the associated expectations are understood as clear and fair
  • Help students to distinguish right from wrong through the application of the Four Cornerstones
  • Help students to respect the law and the basis on which it is made
  • Help students to understand that living under the rule of law protects individuals
  • Teach students aspects of both civil and criminal law and discuss how this might differ from some religious laws
  • Develop restorative justice approaches to resolve conflicts

3. Individual liberty

  • Support students to develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence
  • Encourage students through the Four Cornerstones to take responsibility for their behaviour, as well as knowing their rights
  • Model freedom of speech through student participation, while ensuring protection of vulnerable individuals and promoting critical analysis of evidence
  • Challenge stereotypes
  • Implement a strong anti-bullying culture

4. Respect and tolerance

  • Promote respect for individual differences
  • Help students to acquire an understanding of, and respect for, their own and other cultures and ways of life
  • Challenge prejudicial or discriminatory behaviour
  • Develop links with faith communities
  • Develop critical personal thinking skills
  • Discuss differences between people, such as differences of faith, ethnicity, disability, gender and differences of family situations, such as looked-after children or young carers

The Prevent Strategy
Crookhorn College takes its responsibility to challenge extreme views and uphold the principles of the Prevent Strategy seriously. Our recent risk assessment shows the College to be at low risk of extremism. We are confident that our numerous activities to promote British values, tolerance, charity and respect allow our students to develop into global citizens. In order to maintain awareness key staff have recently completed an online training module on the ‘Channel’ aspect of the Prevent Strategy.