…putting children at the heart of all we think, say and do

Our vision and values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, happy citizens.

Our Vision

Hodge Hill Primary aims to provide a creative and challenging curriculum that inspires future thinkers, innovators and problem solvers in an immersive environment that stimulates and supports high quality learning. We aim to teach children how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others while developing the drive, knowledge and skills to become life-long learners.

SMSC

SMSC is threaded throughout everything that we aim to promote at Hodge Hill. Our goal is to prepare pupils for life as a responsible citizen within an ever-changing multi-cultural society.

Spiritual: Collective worship provides opportunities for personal reflection.

A broad and balanced curriculum provides a sense of enjoyment and engagement with pupils’ learning as well as an opportunity to reflect upon their experiences.

Moral: At Hodge Hill, we encourage pupils to respect one another; to understand that attitudes to learning can have positive and negative consequences upon themselves and those around them.

Social: Pupils are willing to participate in a range of social settings.

Learning Mentors provide nurture groups to assist the school in maintaining a respectful environment wherein all are treated fairly.

Cultural: Pupils are learning to talk about their learning. The curriculum provides opportunities to participate in and respond positively to artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities. School councillors are elected through a voting system. Year 6 pupils learn about British democratic principles.

British Values

Promoting British Values

The Department for Education state that there is a 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.”

The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and these values were reiterated by the Prime Minister in 2014.  At Hodge Hill Primary School, these values are also integral to our vision and values.  As well as promoting British values, the opposite also applies: we would actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values.

Below are just a few examples of how we promote British values:

Democracy

Democracy is central to how Hodge Hill Primary School operates so it is fundamental that children, parents and staff are given opportunities for their voices to be heard. We embed this in many different ways:

  • Parent surveys/questionnaires are conducted at 'Pop Up' events parents’ evening and at the end of the year. Parents are encouraged to identify what the school is doing well in and how we can improve further. We value and take on board all suggestions and aim to address them.
  • Taking into consideration the pupils’ views, we regularly gather pupil voice on school life and the curriculum.
  • Our School Council will represent the views of all our pupils. It gives children the opportunity to make their voices heard and feel part of the whole school community.
  • We use various methods to capture pupil voice - our children's views matter to us.

The Rules of Law

Throughout the year, the importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school or the country, are continuously and consistently reinforced by all members of Hodge Hill Staff. We believe that it is vital that pupils 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. We address the Rules of Law in several ways:

  • Assemblies
  • Class Rules. The rules are displayed in the classroom and are referred to continuously to ensure that all pupils are able to learn in a happy, safe, secure environment.
  • Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service who reinforce this message.
  • During Religious Education, where rules for particular faiths are looked at and discussed.
  • Subjects like PSHE and PE where there is respect and appreciation for different rules.

Individual Liberty

Individual Liberty is taught alongside The Rules of Law at Hodge Hill. We promote freedom of choice and the right to respectfully express views and beliefs. Providing a safe, supportive environment and empowering education, we aim to provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely; for example:

  • Choices around the election of school council representatives and house captains
  • Choices about how they record their learning
  • Choices about what learning challenge 

Mutual Respect and Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Being proud and appreciative of our pupils coming from many different backgrounds and beliefs, tolerance, politeness and mutual respect are at the heart of our aims and ethos. We pride ourselves in educating our pupils to know and understand that everyone should be treated with respect regardless of any differences we may have. This is constantly reinforced throughout the curriculum. Children learn that their behaviour choices have an effect on their own rights and those of others. All members of the school community should treat each other with respect.

Below are specific examples of how we at Hodge Hill enhance pupils’ understanding and respect for different faiths and beliefs:

  • As well as assemblies led by teaching staff who focus on stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures, different year groups plan and deliver year group assemblies that celebrate the different festivals celebrated by pupils at Hodge Hill.
  • Our Religious Education curriculum further reinforces this.

Our Trust values

Our vision is to create the best possible education for disadvantaged children in Birmingham.

Our mission is to create the best teachers, leaders, education and opportunities.  

Our values are based on our name: Create. Partnership. Trust. 

  • We are a creative Trust, which values Innovation
  • We work in partnership, and value Collaboration
  • We know that our children and families trust us to have the highest Aspiration for our children
  • We believe in trust between colleagues and schools so we value Integrity in all aspects of our work