Vision and Values

Central to our school community is the commitment to put our ‘Children at the Heart of Everything we do.’ They deserve the very best education we can offer and this statement reflects our determination to ensure that we do whatever we can to help each child learn the skills and knowledge they need to develop their unique talents and aspirations, both now and in the future.

We are unique, a diverse and vibrant learning community. Many of the children’s parents and grandparents attended our school. We pride ourselves in the warm welcome we give all our children and their families. It is really important to us that we are a school where everyone feels valued, safe and happy to learn. At the last count, about a quarter of our children are from countries around the world, speaking a total of 22 different languages which, as you can imagine, provides a rich mosaic of people and beliefs. Cultural diversity is celebrated at Old Town Infant School & Nursery and all our children, and their families, are valued and treated with equal respect. 

We want everyone to feel they are part of a very special community and to take pride in our school. We want individuals to value themselves and others and to treat each other with kindness and respect. Our school is a happy place where we work closely, in partnership with parents and carers, to ensure that each child achieves the very best they can.  

We believe that:

· School should be a happy place where our children feel that they are safe and cared for. Positive relationships are key.

· When children are treated with respect and kindness, they learn to respect others and to be kind, responsible and considerate. These are the values which underpin all the major faiths.

· By having high expectations of their own and others’ learning and behaviour, we are encouraging our children to be the very best they can be.

· When we all work together, parents and staff, our children will develop confidence, independence and self-belief.

· By valuing children as individuals and making them feel special, we are helping them to develop their self-esteem which will support them in being strong and positive people.

· A creative, exciting and well planned curriculum, which is relevant for our children, will help inspire a love of learning and a spirit of enquiry, both now and in the future.

Our Aims

We want our children to be confident individuals who are prepared to try something new but not be afraid to make mistakes. We want them to be self-assured, to say what they think, but respect and be sensitive to how other people are feeling too. We want our children to see life positively and to make good choices. We want them to be secure and feel like they belong. 

We want our children to be successful learners who can think for themselves and use their developing skills in different ways. We want them to love learning but understand that, sometimes, learning is difficult and things don’t always go according to plan, so you have to stick at it and not give up. We want them to embrace all opportunities and to thrive on a challenge.

We want our children to be responsible citizens who respect themselves and other people and who strive to make the world a better place. We want them to appreciate that people may look different and have different beliefs and traditions, but actually, we have much in common too and we share many key life values. We want them to understand how their attitude and what they do, affects their own life as well as others around them. We want them to be aware that they have rights but know that they also have responsibilities.