Vision & Values
Our Purpose
The core purpose of Willowfield Academy is to ensure all children are equipped for the next stage of their educational lives and to provide them with experiences and positive moments that last a lifetime.
Our Vision and Values
Willowfield staff are unwavering in their belief that all children deserve a second chance and with the right resource, leadership and support, they are well placed and ready for the next phase of improvement. Pupils achieve well above expectations in special school settings, often due to the outstanding experience during the primary stage, which is built on as they progress through school.
The children that attend Willowfield Academy experience barriers and challenges to learning, often associated with social, emotional, and mental health (SEMH) difficulties. However, the academy aims to embrace and support all these challenges our children and families face together, celebrating differences and providing educational experiences that will last a lifetime. The Academy offers a rich curriculum, which builds on the knowledge, understanding, and skills of all pupils, one that celebrates the individual and focuses on the whole educational journey.
Willowfield Academy is a proud member of the Raleigh Education Trust and shares the same determination, vision, and values in delivering education of the highest quality to all our children. As an organisation, we value all our families and local communities and believe in the importance of working in partnership with all stakeholders and services.
We believe in lifelong learning and therefore recognise the importance of developing our staff through quality professional development and the power of networks. Working in collaboration, sharing best practices, and supporting one another will ensure we can all achieve our aims and ultimately provide the best for our children and their families.
Vision for learning
Our values influence everything that we plan, teach and that our children learn – confidence, challenge, curiosity, character and creativity. Academy staff support children and young people to embody these values through their experiences in our academies.
Pedagogies that support high-level learning and engagement are evidence based. Deep and powerful understanding is formed through the use of memory and recall and children are challenged by personalised learning and project-based learning connected to the world around them which encourages opportunities for peers to work collaboratively to develop skills that go beyond their time in school.
Our reflections of the week are used to promote the positive ways we are living our values across our curriculum.
Confidence
Confidence is the foundation of successful progression through life. With the right mindset, personal wellbeing and physical activity, the challenges of life can be experienced as the rich tapestry of learning and development through early adulthood. We encourage our children and young people to move from their comfort zones to nurture confidence within the unknown and unfamiliar.
Challenge
We do everything we can to prepare the children in our care for a complex, uncertain and constantly changing world, where they will go on to live, grow and work. By strengthening their resilience and academic capacity, we aim to equip them with the skills to face life’s hurdles head-on.
Curiosity
A world full of mystery and unknowns is not one we want our children to enter with fear or trepidation. We aim for the children to not only meet the challenges of early adulthood, we want to ensure they are excited to overcome them; curiosity is the doorway to exploration, understanding and the acquisition of knowledge.
Character
Essential traits to living a meaningful and purposeful life include empathy, compassion and self-awareness. By focusing on these strong areas of character alongside the achievement of personalised academic excellence, pupils will be well prepared for the future.
Creativity
Collaboration and exploration permeate throughout our school environments. Creative, original thinking and independence are encouraged throughout the curriculum. Design and Technology, art, music and dance provide experiences for children and help them understand themselves and others.
