Our Values, Vision & Aims

Our aim is to

‘Champion Remarkable Children’

Our Values

We achieve our aim by living our values in our day to day practice. These values are …

• Welcome
• Aspire
• Appreciate
• Respect
• Celebrate

Our core values are at the centre of everything we do. We …

• welcome EVERYONE into our community with a compassionate and nurturing ethos.
• aspire for learning to be exciting, innovative and make a difference to all.
• appreciate challenges however big or small. We work together to overcome them.
• respect and celebrate our rich and diverse community showing kindness and care to each other.

Our Vision

Our vision is to

• ensure a welcoming, fun and safe learning environment
• ensure children are engaged in active learning, both in school and the wider community, which enables them to the thrive
• provide a child centred and communication based curriculum which is individual to every child
• promote respect and kindness for all in the school community
• provide specialist support for parents and the wider SEN community of Trafford

At The Orchard’s we aim to provide a learning environment which is caring, kind and professional whilst encouraging continuous improvement for all. We want each and every child to flourish through our nurturing and child- centred approaches. Our school is calm, kind, safe and secure. It provides children with disabilities an exceptional environment in which to develop communication, enable independence, and engage in active and fun learning all whilst ensuring that families and carers are well supported on their child’s journey.

Promoting British Values at The Orchards

The DfE have recently emphasised the need “to create and enforce clear and rigorous expectations 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.” At The Orchards these values are reinforced regularly in the following ways:

Democracy

Each year the children decide upon their class contract and the rights associated with these. All the pupils contribute to the drawing up of the contract. We have a School Council which meets every month to discuss issues raised in class meetings. The council has its own budget and is genuinely able to effect change within the school. Every child on the student council is voted in by their class. Children have an annual questionnaire where they are able to put forward their views about the school.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at The Orchards. Pupils are taught from an early age the rules of the school. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind rules and laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message. Rules are also covered in the work that the school does to promote fair play in sport and the value of sportsmanship. This is evident when sporting events are reported on. The attitude of the participants are celebrated and valued just as much as the result.

Individual Liberty

At The Orchards, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advised how to exercise these safely, for example through our eSafety and PSHE lessons.

Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is at the heart of our values. Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others.

All members of the school community treat each other with respect. The Orchards is a diverse school. We actively promote diversity through our celebrations of different faiths and cultures. This is evident in the themes for collective worship where the festivals of many religions are recognised and celebrated. Religious Education lessons and PSHE lessons also reinforce these messages of tolerance and respect for others. Members of different faiths and religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. The children visit places of worship that are important to different faiths.