Coopers Edge School Home About Us Our Learning Staff Governors Vacancies Newsletters & Forms Term and other dates Ethos & Values Summarising the Ethos and Values in our school is more difficult than it sounds… one must take into account the journey the school has been on since its opening in September 2011. Our Vision sets the firm foundation of all we do: Coopers Edge School provides children with an educational environment where they are happy, have equal opportunities and are provided with a wide ranging academic, creative and social curriculum and extended services which will allow them to achieve to the best of their potential. But is really only the beginning of a complex web of expectations and ideals. We truly believe that every child has the capacity to be successful but recognise that many have challenges to overcome before they can ever reach them. Our nurturing environment includes practitioners whose specific role is to support pupils’ social and emotional well-being; supporting their friendships, raising their self-esteem, coaching their behaviour management and even supporting them through bereavements. We also have an accredited Nurture Group: ‘Nurture groups offer an opportunity to learn the early nurturing experiences some children and young people lack, giving them the skills to do well at school, make friends and deal more confidently and calmly with the trials and tribulations of life, for life.’ Nurture Network The six principles of nurture are: 1. Children's learning is understood developmentally 2. The classroom offers a safe base 3. The importance of nurture for the development of well-being 4. Language is a vital means of communication 5. All behaviour is communication 6. The importance of transition in children's lives Life Enhancing Experiences In the autumn of 2011 the FGB committed to provide: Life Enhancing Experiences: Throughout their Coopers Edge learning journey pupils will participate in the following experiences, as often as possible to enhance their lives: Adventurous activities, cooking healthy meals, using different forms of transport, working with the older generation, representing their school in sporting events With the supporting choices of: Visiting museums, going to farms and religious places of interest, receiving career advice, participating in residential trips, teaching someone else, meeting different cultures/races/sexualities, linking with different countries/schools, tasting a variety of different foods and participating in performances Thinking and Learning Our Thinking and Learning Policy creatively reflects our commitment to developing pupils’ skills across the curriculum and at all levels. Its ‘foundations’ take into account the basic needs that we have to have in place including having high expectations of ourselves and others, wellbeing and even ensuring staff development supports pupils’ development. The first storey of the house reflects the gathering process – seeking out what the pupils’ already know and can do. Or, as is the case with many, giving them initial experiences to build upon. The processing storey is all the doing. Most of the time in lessons pupils will be practising new skills and enhancing their existing knowledge and understanding, individually, in pairs and in groups of different sizes. Applying the skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils have acquired often has a creative outcome. We use our Higher Order Thinking Skills along with all we have learnt including social enterprise, ICT and computing to do some good; ‘to make the world a better place’. Classes have put on performances, raised money for charity, sponsored reading material for children in other parts of the world. During 2012/13 the pupils worked together as a whole school to develop our definitions of Achievement, Learning and Effort: As a staff in spring 2013 we reflected on the needs of our pupils further. We spent time discussing and ranking the most important values our pupils needed to become successful, well-rounded people. At the beginning on September 2014, when the staff we developing their ideas for our new curriculum we pondered upon the bigger concepts that needed to be embedded within it: Big Concepts: Transcend space & Time! Individual growth and aspiration Individual cultural identity, global citizenshipand equality of all Media skills and communication Participatory citizenship and entrepreneurship Resopnsibilty of the environment, well-being and a sustainable future The whole of 2014 was spent embedding the five pillars of resilience which we still reflect upon on a weekly basis: PACER was born! Five concepts that will transcend space and time; concepts that if pupils grasp and develop they are much more likely to grow into well-rounded successful adults. Active Thinking + Learning Together = Achievement Creativity How schools kill creativity Bring on the learning revolution Changing education paradigms Shift Happens Thinking Skills Thinking School Six Thinking Hats - Information for parents Thinking Maps Thinking Schools International Coopers Edge School | Hosted by New Era Technology | DB Primary | DB Learning Library