We aim to encourage all to love each other and know they are loved  – this includes teaching children to be positive, forward-looking and hopeful. It also includes teaching children that they have a responsibility towards others, fairness and their world. 

How does the theologically rooted Christian vision enable positive relationships that balance individual freedoms and rights with responsibility towards others?

Members of our school community know that we have a responsibility to both show love and be loved. In practical terms, this is reflected in our Behaviour (Paul Dix) and Admissions policies, in developing our understanding of the world e.g. Black Lives Matter, in our approach to attendance and in how we make one another feel.  Our Christian mission, vision and values guide our work and give us a firm foundation upon which to develop the school.

We believe that the environment children work in, in terms of the atmosphere, learning spaces and outdoor areas, are vitally important in setting a positive tone. Staff and children value working in spaces which are purposeful, high quality and effective. Visitors to the school always comment on its buzz, its warm atmosphere and calmness.

Pride in ourselves, our uniform, our school badge and the way in which we conduct ourselves as a school family matter to us. 

 

                                                              

How do we encourage an active culture of justice and courageous advocacy?

Children are able to explore questions through the way we plan our learning and  through our worship plans and through PSHE and No Outsiders lessons.

Class-led projects, where children themselves decide to make ethical choices, are a feature of our work.

Pupil leadership is important at Condover. Children lead worship, Eco Committee, Safety Committee. Children take responsibility for different areas of school life, they enjoy this and want to support others, to offer ideas and to speak up when things need to change.

DHMAT has a positive impact on the culture of the school in many ways. The trust is directly linked to our local governing board, provides networking for staff, gives time for children to collaborate, shares best practice and creates partnership opportunities across schools.

Our Christian values of love, forgiveness and trust underpin all of our work. They give a real focus to teaching our children about justice and responsibility.

In our work, be that from children, staff or a whole school perspective, we aim to bring love. This may be in supporting individual families, accessing support, providing uniform or food, offering free clubs, translating key documentation or ensuring targeted counselling the community that makes up Condover is strong.  We support and recommend HAF funded holiday clubs.

How do we help children to develop resilience?

We like mistakes and encourage children to be courageous, to have a go with learning and to enjoy the challenge of something new. That could be in the form of trying a new food at lunchtime, exploring new ways of multiplying a number or contributing constructively when they have a different view to someone else. We promote a growth mindset approach.

Linked to this is the school’s work on promoting advocacy amongst children. By helping children to understand what their rights and responsibilities are, through discussion of stories and through providing protected time for worship, children are able to learn about and lead social action, for example, by caring for our environment, raising funds for local charities or learning about global issues.

Alongside this, children learn about the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation through our approach to behaviour. We expect children to make good choices and give them the tools to do so, but we are also realistic; we all make mistakes sometimes. Learning to be honest about that and knowing that we will work together to resolve issues is the key to making this work. Children feel confident that they will be listened to, supported and that reconciliation will be possible. Parents trust the school and work alongside us so that children feel safe, confident and happy.