School Vision and Ethos

  ''Varna is special because the teachers teach with so much passion and kindness. #TeamVarna''

• Work collaboratively with their peers in order to be able to communicate their ideas and opinions effectively 
• Develop their own specific skills and talents and in doing so become self confidence 
• Have the opportunity to read a range of books which represent the community in which they live
• Meet authors of books they have read
• Know what it means to keep safe within school and beyond,  and also understand how to be safe online
• Be given opportunities to take on responsibilities in school such as; librarian, Sports Leader, Digital Leader, Prefect, School Councillor, Reading Buddy
• Learn to swim
• Learn to play a musical instrument
• Join the local library 
• Develop their artistic skills under the direction of an artist
• Learn to cook healthy food
• Carry out experiments within a scientific investigation
• Learn about the different religions and cultures within our school and our wider Manchester community 
• Visit a museum
• Visit a gallery
• Explore physical activities in our locality, including Debdale, HideOut, local High Schools and others
• Play a range of team sports and games and be given the opportunity to be part of a team
• Be given support for their additional needs in order to access education alongside their peers and achieve their full potential
• Access learning opportunities outdoors

The governors, parents, staff and pupils believe that Varna Community Primary School is:

A school where:

• All people are important and treated as individuals.
• All people respect and care for each other.
• All people are expected to develop positive attitudes to each other, regardless of race, ability or gender.

A school which is:

• Clean, warm, tidy and comfortable.
• Looked after by everybody to keep it in good condition.
• Enjoyed by its pupils and staff.

A school which is:

• Aware of its responsibilities to parents and carers.
• Helping all children to develop their abilities to the full.
• Happy, stimulating and secure.

A school which:

• Provides a balanced curriculum relevant to the needs and development of growing children.

A school where:

• Pupils are expected to understand the need and reason for excellent behaviour.

PROMOTION OF BRITISH VALUES
At Varna Community Primary School we believe that, through high quality Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) provision and underlying ethos of the school, all children achieve their full potential as well as developing a full understanding of their role within their community. This ultimately means that our children leave the school at the end of Year 6 as well-rounded young people who are ready to make the transition to secondary school. Part of our role in this preparation is ensuring that we promote and reinforce key values to our students. These include:

• We are sensible
• We look out for each other
• We are helpful
• We look after our school environment
• We are respectful of others
• We are polite
• We are kind and considerate
• We tell the truth

The government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and considered them to be democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. At Varna we feel these values sit well with our own key values and are consistently reinforced and respected within our school community.

The examples that follow are an indication of some of the ways we are looking to embed British Values at Varna Community Primary School and are an indication of our approach rather than an exhaustive list. Our assembly programme and wider curricular teaching are key ways in which we develop our key values, including British Values with our children.

DEMOCRACY
At Varna Community Primary School the principle of democracy is consistently reinforced. Elections for School Councillors and the high profile nature of their work, as well as work throughout the curriculum and in assemblies ensure that our children have a good understanding of the democratic process.

THE RULE OF LAW
The importance of “laws,” whether they are those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days. Our ‘School Rules’ are high profile throughout school and are discussed in all classes. Our children recognise the importance of right and wrong and those consequences that apply when rules are broken.

INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY
Within Varna Community Primary School children are actively encouraged to make independent choices knowing that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. As a school we provide clear boundaries for children to make choices safely, starting in our Foundation Stage, through the provision of a safe environment and an engaging curriculum. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely, for example through our exploration of E-Safety.

MUTUAL RESPECT
Respect is at the core of our school ethos and is modelled by children and staff alike. The school promotes respect for others and this is reinforced through our classroom and learning environments as well as our sequence of assemblies. In line with our commitment to democracy, children at Varna Community Primary School are always able to voice their opinions in the appropriate forums.

TOLERANCE OF THOSE OF DIFFERENT FAITHS AND BELIEFS
Children are taught to understand their place in our culturally diverse school and the wider society through our curriculum and SMSC provision. Our RE curriculum introduces a range of religions and enables our children to discuss and recognise different beliefs and faiths. Our MFL curriculum further broadens the cultural understanding of our children.

STATEMENT OF BEHAVIOUR PRINCIPLES

Every pupil understands they have the right to feel safe, valued and respected, and learning free from the disruption of others

All pupils, staff and visitors are free from any form of discrimination

Staff and volunteers set an excellent example to pupils at all times

Rewards, sanctions and reasonable force are used consistently by staff, in line with the behaviour policy

The behaviour policy is understood by pupils and staff

The exclusions policy explains that exclusions will only be used as a last resort and outlines the processes involved in permanent and fixed-term exclusions

Pupils are helped to take responsibility for their actions

Families are involved in behaviour incidents to foster good relationships between school and pupils’ home life

The governing body also emphasises that violence or threatening behaviour will not be tolerated in any circumstances

This written statement of behaviour principles is review and approved by the full Governing Body every academic year