The future holds an exciting challenge for our pupils. The world is changing so rapidly and we recognise that the role a school plays in preparing the children for this future is an important one. The children of today are the citizens of the future. They will be faced with situations, responsibilities and challenges which are unique and complex.
All children deserve the chance to be successful. Success comes in many forms: social success, financial success and personal success. Success will mean different things to different people but, whatever your definition is, it is part of our responsibility to provide opportunities for the children we teach to thrive.
Our Vision is our way of outlining what we are aiming for, for the children of Kingham School to be able to achieve under our guidance, the thinking behind it and how we will go about it.
By the time they leave Kingham Primary School we want all of our children to:
Have an excellent knowledge and understanding of academic studies
The basics of literacy and numeracy are essential, and we need to strive to ensure that attainment standards are excellent. An academic education, however, has to go beyond this, covering a broad and balanced curriculum where importance is also given to IT, the arts, humanities and physical education, giving children the opportunity to discover new interests and strengths. We ensure that we use the best quality resources and take on innovative teaching styles to bring subjects to life and capture the imagination of young minds. We ensure that we recruit the highest quality staff who can nurture pupil’s skills and talents. At Kingham we make good use of specialist teachers and bring in experts to further enhance the experience for our pupils.
To think and work creatively
Different people learn and express themselves in a variety of ways. Some of us will be able to do it through music, or art; others through writing or dance. The work we provide children with needs to reflect the diversity of children’s learning styles and allow them to develop their understanding through the method most appropriate to them. Fostering children’s creativity leads on to innovation of ideas and an ability and approach that ‘dares to be different.’ We adopt a creative approach to teaching and embrace technology. By offering a learning environment where pupils are able to make discoveries for themselves, they can experiment with different ideas and present both themselves and their work effectively.
Be highly motivated
Motivation comes in two forms, extrinsic (rewards given to you by someone else) or intrinsic (the feeling of pleasure you get from doing a good job). Intrinsic motivation is invaluable for ensuring that children do their best, try their hardest, are pleased with themselves when they do well and are inspired to do better when they don’t succeed the first time. Intrinsic motivation leads pupils to develop their sense of curiosity, approach problems from alternative angles and be flexible in order to achieve the end goal. That inner feeling of success and pleasure that results from doing a good job, persevering to the end and being dedicated to finding that elusive solution all come from high levels of motivation and can be applied to work and social situations. Our teachers lead by example – they are energetic and positive, praising effort and celebrating success. Pupils are encouraged to use investigative skills to build on their education and take themselves to a new level. An example of this is project work, where pupils make choices regarding subject, medium and content and a well-motivated pupil can, over time, produce a unique and lasting piece of work, which can then inspire and further motivate others.
Develop an inner confidence
To be successful we need to have confidence in our own abilities, skills and attitudes. For our own happiness we need to be able to feel good about ourselves and to be comfortable with who we are. With an inner confidence comes a willingness to take risks, to approach new situations and problems and to be able to present ourselves in as positive a way as possible.
Confidence also gives children the power to express themselves, engage with ohers and communicate effectively. We encourage pupils to take an active part in their education by providing them with choices wherever possible and by listening and responding positively to all they have to say. We welcome them warmly into school each day and set fair and consistent boundaries. We know that confidence comes from children feeling valued and understanding what is expected of them and of those around them.
Have a sense of empathy
On a human level we need to be able to empathise with each other and support each other as if we were in their shoes; to recognize problems that others are facing and do what we can to support them. Empathy also enables us to see problems from someone else’s point of view, to respect our differences and foster a sense of tolerance. The global society we now live in means that we all need to realise the value of what we have to offer, but also to recognise the contributions of others and their potential. A school is, in many respects, a scaled down world, full of difference and diversity. It is an ideal setting in which to promote and practice the empathetic skills we all need to foster to be successful and, once again, staff lead by example. We insist that children are well-mannered and polite and show respect for the views and feelings of one another. We do a great deal of work within the community, and support a range of charities, looking at the work they do as well as fund raising on their behalf. Our International work, linking with Spain and Germany and our extensive RE curriculum all ensure that children develop a real understanding of the cultures, beliefs and values of other people.
Have respect for themselves
We are all unique and should be valued. Respect for others can only really be achieved if we have respect for ourselves. We need the children to take care of themselves, keep safe, well, and happy so they are fit mentally and physically and know how to deal with dangers. Staff do all that they can to ensure children feel valued. An aspect of this is developing very positive relationships between staff and parents, as this reflects positively on the children and how they feel about their family unit. We feel an extremely important part of the school curriculum is personal and social health, fitness and citizenship and our approach to teaching in these areas is highly accredited.
Understand how to interact with others
No matter how well educated we are in an academic sense we can never achieve our potential unless we know how to interact with others in society. Children need to be actively taught social skills, manners and communication skills so that they can engage with other people and create opportunities for themselves through the personal links they foster. Pupils work in collaboration across the curriculum, interacting both with each other and with staff. Children are actively taught drama, presentation and communication skills. They have the opportunity to perform in a variety of settings in school at events such as sharing assemblies, and also on a more public stage at concerts, plays and the Chipping Norton Festival. By doing this they steadily build the skills which they will need to interact in society and practice good manners, self-discipline, inclusiveness, and tolerance.
Bringing the Vision to Life
Crucial to our success are, of course, our staff - what they stand for and how motivated and proficient they are. We place a great deal of importance on attracting and then retaining high quality staff Training and career development opportunities are made available to all staff and morale and work-life balance is regularly reviewed. All staff attend weekly meetings and are involved in all important school decisions. Staff, as well as pupils, share an understanding of what the school stands for, keeping it at the forefront of all that they do.
Kingham works hard to facilitate good communications with parents and welcomes their involvement in school life as much as possible. By sharing our vision with parents we hope to harness their support in making our vision a reality.
It is not the biggest, the brightest, or the best that will survive, but those who adapt the quickest.’ Charles Darwin.
Creative teaching with mutual respect, preparing our remarkable young people for the future, whatever it holds.
The basics of literacy and numeracy are essential, and we need to strive to ensure that attainment standards are excellent. An academic education, however, has to go beyond this, covering a broad and balanced curriculum where importance is also given to IT, the arts, humanities and physical education, giving children the opportunity to discover new interests and strengths. We ensure that we use the best quality resources and take on innovative teaching styles to bring subjects to life and capture the imagination of young minds. We ensure that we recruit the highest quality staff who can nurture pupil’s skills and talents. At Kingham we make good use of specialist teachers and bring in experts to further enhance the experience for our pupils. 
Different people learn and express themselves in a variety of ways. Some of us will be able to do it through music, or art; others through writing or dance. The work we provide children with needs to reflect the diversity of children’s learning styles and allow them to develop their understanding through the method most appropriate to them. Fostering children’s creativity leads on to innovation of ideas and an ability and approach that ‘dares to be different.’ We adopt a creative approach to teaching and embrace technology. By offering a learning environment where pupils are able to make discoveries for themselves, they can experiment with different ideas and present both themselves and their work effectively. 
Motivation comes in two forms, extrinsic (rewards given to you by someone else) or intrinsic (the feeling of pleasure you get from doing a good job). Intrinsic motivation is invaluable for ensuring that children do their best, try their hardest, are pleased with themselves when they do well and are inspired to do better when they don’t succeed the first time. Intrinsic motivation leads pupils to develop their sense of curiosity, approach problems from alternative angles and be flexible in order to achieve the end goal. That inner feeling of success and pleasure that results from doing a good job, persevering to the end and being dedicated to finding that elusive solution all come from high levels of motivation and can be applied to work and social situations. Our teachers lead by example – they are energetic and positive, praising effort and celebrating success. Pupils are encouraged to use investigative skills to build on their education and take themselves to a new level. An example of this is project work, where pupils make choices regarding subject, medium and content and a well-motivated pupil can, over time, produce a unique and lasting piece of work, which can then inspire and further motivate others. 
On a human level we need to be able to empathise with each other and support each other as if we were in their shoes; to recognize problems that others are facing and do what we can to support them. Empathy also enables us to see problems from someone else’s point of view, to respect our differences and foster a sense of tolerance. The global society we now live in means that we all need to realise the value of what we have to offer, but also to recognise the contributions of others and their potential. A school is, in many respects, a scaled down world, full of difference and diversity. It is an ideal setting in which to promote and practice the empathetic skills we all need to foster to be successful and, once again, staff lead by example. We insist that children are well-mannered and polite and show respect for the views and feelings of one another. We do a great deal of work within the community, and support a range of charities, looking at the work they do as well as fund raising on their behalf. Our International work, linking with Spain and Germany and our extensive RE curriculum all ensure that children develop a real understanding of the cultures, beliefs and values of other people. 
No matter how well educated we are in an academic sense we can never achieve our potential unless we know how to interact with others in society. Children need to be actively taught social skills, manners and communication skills so that they can engage with other people and create opportunities for themselves through the personal links they foster. Pupils work in collaboration across the curriculum, interacting both with each other and with staff. Children are actively taught drama, presentation and communication skills. They have the opportunity to perform in a variety of settings in school at events such as sharing assemblies, and also on a more public stage at concerts, plays and the Chipping Norton Festival. By doing this they steadily build the skills which they will need to interact in society and practice good manners, self-discipline, inclusiveness, and tolerance. 
