Vision & Values
OUR VISION – the possibilities of what we can become…
Together, children first…
o Uniqueness – we embrace and accept everyone is an individual with different needs, interests and styles and Castle Wood will effectively engage with the broad spectrum of need.
o Collaboration – we will all work together towards improving the life chances of all pupils and Castle Wood will engage with external organisations to ensure this.
o Learning – we know that every experience increases our knowledge and skills physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially and Castle Wood will lead the way in specialist education.
HOW OUR VISION AFFECTS DAY-TO-DAY LIFE AT CASTLE WOOD
Together – Castle Wood has a thriving, purposeful staff where everyone in the team is valued. There is recognition that a cohesive and consistent approach is needed - no-one can impact change on their own – everyone is needed. As a community we learn and research together, so we provide outstanding practice and provision. We develop strategies that support families to understand how young children learn best and their vital role in it.
Children first… - the priority at Castle Wood is children. Their well-being, education and aspirations are the driver for every decision we make. This can mean looking beyond superficial solutions and taking the more challenging path to ensure that children are motivated, happy, engaged, and ready to learn.
Uniqueness – no two people have the same experiences, feelings, likes or dislikes. Every one of our pupils are unique as are our staff. Our perceptions affect how we interact with the world and each other. Consequently, we all have very different learning styles, methods of communication, beliefs, thoughts, and influences. Therefore, we take time to observe and listen to each other, demonstrating understanding of diversity – neurodevelopmental, cultural, social, and religious. Our practice is inclusive acknowledging the uniqueness of every learner.
Collaboration – a partnership of multiple individuals to accomplish a shared goal. We will constructively explore ideas to search for solutions that will extend our own knowledge. Collaboration will increase the effectiveness of our working relationships as we are better able to share and discuss, giving opportunities to be challenged as well as to consolidate ideas and refine skills. We will be more creative with resources modelling sharing and flexibility to pupils in the way we collaborate. Collaboration will increase the effectiveness of our communication as we are willing to ask questions, listening and respecting opinions using a diverse range of communication methods.
Learning – deep and long-lasting learning involves understanding, relating ideas, and making connections between prior and new knowledge, independent and critical thinking, and ability to transfer knowledge to new and different contexts. Some learning is immediate, induced by a single event but much skill and knowledge accumulates from repeated experiences. The changes induced by learning often last a lifetime. No child will be limited in striving to achieve their aspirations. Our curriculum will be adapted to children’s needs having bespoke learning opportunities tailored to learning needs in different contexts and environments underpinned by high expectations. Practitioners have a sound knowledge of child development and will recognise windows of opportunity. All practitioners deliver outstanding teaching, providing interesting, motivating, challenging, and learning experiences which recognises every child is unique. A child’s special interests are utilised to support interactions and learning through play. Evidence shows that high quality early learning has a lasting impact on social and behavioural outcomes therefore, we aim to provide a personal approach to each child’s learning. We maintain that learning should be a creative, rewarding, and enjoyable experience for everyone. Learning will be fun, exciting, and memorable with accurate knowledge of starting points and next steps for progression.
OUR VALUES – our beliefs which drive our behaviours...
Our values underpin everything we do at Castle Wood. The values have been chosen by consensus of stakeholders at Castle Wood. They are the key to our decision making and indicate to our stakeholders and external organisations how they can expect to be treated. Our values are non-negotiable and should be second nature, running through all our relationships, activities, and interactions.
