Broomhill Junior School

The primary aim of all the work we do at Broomhill is to make a difference to children’s lives.

Our vision and values underpin everything we do at Broomhill Junior School as we constantly strive to make a difference in terms of:

• Our children’s work and progress
• Our children’s relationships
• Our children’s future choices and chances
• Our children’s community and our Broomhill Family
• The world around them

Mission Statement – ‘To care, challenge and inspire.’

At Broomhill Junior School, our mission is “to care, challenge and inspire.”
We care for every member of our school community, ensuring all children feel safe, supported and valued.
We challenge our pupils to achieve their best, setting high expectations and supporting them to overcome any barriers and obstacles with determination and resilience.
We inspire a love of learning, nurturing curiosity, creativity and confidence, so every child can flourish and become happy, positive citizens.

To Care

• What it means:
  We create a supportive and nurturing environment where every pupil feels safe, valued and respected.
• We achieve this by:
  • Prioritising pupil wellbeing and mental health
  • Building strong, positive relationships with children and their families
  • Encouraging kindness, respect, and empathy in all interactions
  • Providing additional support where needed
  • Ensuring that everyone is equal and achievements are celebrated

To Challenge

• What it means:
  We set high expectations for all pupils, encouraging them to push beyond their comfort zones and reach their full potential.
• We achieve this by:
  • Setting ambitious but achievable goals for each pupil
  • Differentiating lessons to stretch and support every learner
  • Encouraging a growth mindset—helping pupils see mistakes as opportunities to learn
  • Encouraging children to have the courage to act on their beliefs showing grit and perseverance

To Inspire

• What it means:
  We foster a love of learning and motivate pupils to be curious, creative and confident.
• We achieve this by:
  • Delivering creative, engaging and varied lessons
  • Offering a wide range of enrichment opportunities
  • Celebrating achievements and progress whether big or small
  • Encouraging pupils to explore new ideas and interests

• By preparing and motivating our children for a rapidly changing world by instilling in them critical thinking skills, a global perspective, and a respect for core values.  We aim to develop well-rounded, confident and responsible individuals who aspire to be the very best and who are prepared for future challenges.
• Pride will be displayed in all they strive to achieve. 

Vision and Values

Our mission statement, vision and values are at the core of everything we do. We are very much a value driven school and proud to be so! Our values underpin our teaching and learning and provide an environment which prepares our children to become confident, happy citizens.

At Broomhill, every child is recognised and treated as a unique individual, but collectively we form a tightly knit Broomhill family, thereby developing a real sense of collective purpose and belonging. We celebrate and welcome differences within our school community and encourage children to become self-motivated and independent taking an active personal responsibility for their own learning. Learning is bolstered by the teaching of knowledge, concepts, skills, and values enabling children to apply them in a cross-curricular way.

We constantly provide children with enhancement opportunities to engage learning and firmly believe that childhood should be a happy, investigative, and enquiring time with no limits to curiosity and a continuous thirst for new experiences and knowledge.  We use our 5R’s to promote positive attitudes to learning which reflect the values and skills needed to promote high aspirations in learning and future success. 

Our 5R’s encourage children to:

Develop positive Relationships amongst all our Broomhill Family.

Be Reflective to continuously improve.

Respect ourselves and others.

Be Resilient when things may get difficult.

Be Responsible for all our actions.

We utilise our unique setting and make full use of our gardens and farm whenever possible to maximise learning and teach a wide variety of life skills and knowledge. We consider our contextual locality and plan activities around social equity to reflect the diverse context of the school. We embed Careers Education to raise aspirations by providing children with an awareness of options and possibilities.

To achieve our Broomhill values.

Children need to:

• Develop the attitudes, characteristics and self-belief to tackle any challenges in future life
• Enjoy their time at school
• Be recognised as individuals
• Develop good relationships and lasting friendships
• Recognise and celebrate diversity
• Develop and apply sound moral values
• Acquire the skills, commitment and resilience to become successful, independent life-long learners
• Take responsibility for leading themselves and others
• Receive recognition and praise for their efforts and achievements in all areas of school life
• Be active members who contribute to the school and wider community
• Accept hard work and discipline as requirements for success

Staff need to:

• Receive innovative, developmental and effective training
• Be supported, cared for, challenged and valued
• Feel trusted and empowered to take risks in the classroom
• Have opportunities to develop and fulfil their potential in leading the school and their own professional development
• Participate in, contribute to and benefit from partnerships beyond the school
• Be a cohesive group with time and opportunities to develop partnerships and relationships with others within school
• Enjoy their work and find it fulfilling
• Have a good work/life balance

Parents and carers need to:

• Receive regular quality information, advice and guidance in order to fulfil their roles as key partners in their child’s learning
• Demonstrate commitment to supporting their child and the school
• Have opportunities and be encouraged to provide feedback and contribute to the creation and maintenance of a very good school

Governors need to:

• Be ambitious and aspirant in setting the strategic direction for the school
• Inform themselves of educational developments beyond Broomhill
• Embrace partnership working where this is of benefit to the school, children, staff and governors
• Develop new and alternative models of governance which respond to the changing needs of the school
• Exercise rigour in monitoring and evaluating the school’s progress and the extent to which the school experience is exceptional for all

British Values

The Department of Education have recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”

Democracy

At Broomhill Junior School democracy is taken very seriously. Children are actively encouraged to have a voice and share their views and opinions regularly. Children regularly share their thoughts with staff including leaders who are highly visible throughout the school day in an informal manner.

Our school council not only gives our children an opportunity to get their share their ideas with senior members of staff but also to represent the views of their respective classes.  Every year we elect new school councillors to ensure as many pupils as possible get this opportunity to represent their classmates and take part in a democratic process.

All children also complete an annual questionnaire which provides them with the opportunity to share their views of learning at Broomhill and suggest ways in which the school could be improved further.

Governors also talk to children during school to establish their views as a way of ensuring that school self-evaluation is robust and accurate, and therefore effective in moving the school forward.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies.  Children are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Our schools rules, rewards and sanctions which are displayed in all classrooms, referred to regularly and consistently upheld are a practical example of this. Visits from the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message.

Individual Liberty

Within school, children are actively encouraged to make decisions and choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young children to take risks and make choices safely.  Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety and PSHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of learning challenge, how they record their learning, participation in one of our extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, children are given the freedom to make choices and make decisions.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community treat each other with respect. Children reflect on how they show respect weekly in their passports to success and through daily collective worship. Visitors to the school are expected to abide by the code of conduct for visitors.

Understanding of Those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

We place a great emphasis on promoting diversity with our children. Opportunities are regularly planned to address this issue either directly or through the inclusion of stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures. Our RE and PSHE teaching reinforce this.  Each year the children explore a world faith.  By the time they leave us all children have learnt about the beliefs and practices of people of the following world faiths; Christianity, Judaism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.  Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. We plan visits to places of worship to give our pupils opportunities to learn about the beliefs of others or work/learn alongside pupils from a different background to their own. Our strong links with a national school give our pupils of opportunities to work alongside other children of a background different to their own.

At Broomhill Junior School we will actively challenge the expression of opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including those expressing ‘extremist’ views. Neither will the school allow itself or its premises to be used as a platform to promote extremist views or views contrary to fundamental British Values.

PREVENTING RADICALISATION AND EXTREMISM

Radicalisation is defined as the act or process of making a person more radical or favouring of extreme or fundamental changes in political, economic or social conditions, institutions or habits of the mind.

Extremism is defined as the holding of extreme political or religious views.

The Governing Body of Broomhill Junior School have a zero tolerance approach to extremist behaviour for all school community members. We rely on our strong values to steer our work and ensure the pastoral care of our children protects them from exposure to negative influences.

Broomhill is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all its children. As a school we recognise that safeguarding against radicalisation is no different from safeguarding against any other vulnerability. At Broomhill all staff are expected to uphold and promote the fundamental principles of British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect, and understanding of those with different faiths and beliefs.

• Children are encouraged to adopt and live by the school values. These complement the key “British Values” of understanding, respect, understanding, compassion and harmonious living.
• Children are helped to understand the importance of democracy and freedom of speech, through PSHE, assemblies, collective worship and through the elected School Council members
• Children are taught how to keep themselves safe, in school and when using the internet.
• Children participate in local community events so that they appreciate and value their neighbours and friends who may not share their faith background.
• Children’s wellbeing, confidence and resilience is promoted through our planned curriculum and extra-curricular learning opportunities.
• Children are supported in making good choices from a very young age, so they understand the impact and consequences of their actions on others.

THE ROLE OF THE CURRICULUM

Our curriculum promotes respect, understanding and diversity. Children are encouraged to express themselves through discussions, debates and consultations. The RE (Religious Education), PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) and SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) provision is embedded across the curriculum, and underpins the ethos of our school. Children learn about all major faiths and visit places of worship wherever possible. They are also taught about how to stay safe when using the internet.

Collective Worship

Our approach to teaching and collective worship ensure children develop their resilience and their ability to reason and reflect. Whilst all of these enable the children to become well-rounded individuals we recognise the importance of resilience in preventing children being drawn into extremist ways of thinking.

Although serious incidents involving radicalisation have not occurred at Broomhill to date, it is important for us to be constantly vigilant and remain fully informed about the issues which affect the area in which we teach. Staff are reminded to suspend any professional disbelief that instances of radicalisation ‘could not happen here’ and to refer any concerns through the Designated Safeguarding Lead.

Equality Statement