PREP SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE
The Value of Values Creating a caring community The memorable events during the period of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II have all made us think about our remarkable Queen’s values and why her death was felt so acutely by many of us; she will be remembered for her servitude, the devotion she demonstrated to her country, her dedication and dignity. Do you know what your values are, as a human being? Can you begin to articulate them? What about the values you would like to instill in your child? At Churcher’s College Junior School and Nursery, we devised our own set of values as a community known as the 5Rs (Respectful, Reflective, Resourceful, Responsible and Resilient). The pupils were also given the opportunity to vote for an animal by which to refer to each value. Our youngest pupils have these animals as soft toys in
their classrooms because values are big ideas for little people. However, starting young is key to instilling values, at school or at home. Consider how the Royal Family are so aligned to their future roles and we begin to realise the power of how the formative years become so important in shaping the years ahead. For example, when looking at the value of being ‘Respectful’, our Owl and Pussycat pupils in the Nursery begin to understand that being Respectful begins with a please or thank you. Our oldest pupils in Year 6 understand the need to listen and be considerate of others, whoever they are, being open to ideas that they may not agree with. We expect all members of our community to respect other people, property and
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our planet. Each of our values has a set of ‘what this looks like’ statements to bring these values alive across the school. They are displayed and referred to regularly as well as teachers revisiting them at the beginning of every academic year. We understand that values do not just happen; they have to be worked on and breathed. Whilst some see the aim of education as the knowledge of facts, many of us may have come to the conclusion after reflecting on the death and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, that there really is some mileage and value in appreciating that the true aim of education is, perhaps, the knowledge of values. FFION ROBINSON, Head of Churcher’s College Junior School & Nursery www.churcherscollege.com
