heart of heartlands lessons

Why have a school ethos?

A school ethos not only gives the school an identity for students, staff and parents, it creates and develops a sense of community for all members . It underpins our core values of where we want out students to be and what we want them to achieve; it nurtures and supports their character, direction of learning and morals. Research has shown that schools with a strong sense of ethos have higher levels of teacher retention, increasing levels of achievement and success, and better overall performance.

Ensuring a successful School Ethos:

Hannah Suggitt suggests that there are four steps to ensuring an ethos is successful; sell, catch, live and grow. As educators and leaders within a school we are all responsible for ensuring the ethos is valued, relevant and successful.

Sell: ‘Selling’ and promoting the SEARCH ethos for prospective students, parents and staff. Explaining and being clear as to why the SEARCH for SUCCESS Ethos is crucial for ensuring students academic and pastoral success.

Catch ; Staff showing a united front and belief in the importance of the school ethos; the sense of community and consistency it creates for our students. Staff too should feel part of the community alongside students.

Live: Staff ‘live’ and project the school ethos through daily interactions with students, ensuring students value the ethos and understand its importance. We embed the ethos into our students vocabulary by regularly using the language of SEARCH in our daily conversations with students in and outside of lessons.

Grow: Promoting the school ethos by repeating the ‘caught, lived and grow’ cycle.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development equips them to be thoughtful, caring and active citizens in school and in wider society. As educators and leaders within school we all have a collective responsibility to teach students how to behave both for their academic success but also to shape the adults they will become. We want to help support their journey to becoming well rounded individuals who can contribute to society for the better.

https://www.teachsecondary.com/comment/view/staying-postive-the-power-of-a-strong-school-ethos

Heartlands High School, Station Road, Wood Green, London, N22 7ST

Contact: Mari Williams, mari.williams@heartlands.haringey.sch.uk | www.heartlands.haringey.sch.uk