Ethos & Values
Montsaye Academy Ethos and Values
‘A stimulating environment where everyone aspires to achieve their potential’
We know how important it is to start the day well, so every student is a member of a tutor group and will have form time or an assembly at the start of the day which embeds the values we are striving towards. Every week, as well as checking students are meeting the standards of uniform, equipment and punctuality we expect, tutors deliver a range of activities. Tutors share a power point which shows what is happening at school, what’s going on in the wider world and provides key skills activities such as literacy and numeracy. The school values, or British values are the basis for a conversation starter in form which might concern our impact on the world in terms of charity or the environment, it could focus on mental health issues or how to work together to create a better community. We also take every opportunity to praise our wonderful students. We also love sharing achievements outside school from sports clubs, scouting, dance, drama or charity work.
Excellence speaks for itself. We want our students to be the best. However, resilience is just as important. When things go wrong, as they always do in life, the way our students deal with failure is key to the way they move forward. We are helping our students to accept that mistakes are a part of learning. This is supported with our regular assessments and the target time which follows. It is just as important to learn from what we didn’t quite manage to do perfectly, as to get it all right first time. And if we do get it all right first time. Well, that brings us to our final value: Aspiration. We are encouraging students at Montsaye to reach for the stars. There will always be different levels of challenge in our lessons to give all students activities to stretch them further than they thought they could go. We want students to try what’s difficult. And if they can’t do it straight away, to try again. We are also planning lots of visits to interesting places in order to broaden students’ horizons and will organise some visitors to come to school, as well as some special drop down days (ERA days) these days will be fun, interactive and open the students’ eyes to the world we are preparing them for.
This is what matters to us, that at Montsaye our values are central, not just in getting students a string of brilliant GCSEs which they deserve, but also making dynamic, engaging citizens of the world, ready to support and enrich their local community.