Beliefs & Values

At Plymstock School we “strive for every student to fulfil their potential” and believe that all children are entitled to an education that will enable them to develop themselves intellectually, socially, creatively and emotionally.

We also believe that children should be able to live and develop as happy and valued human beings.

The Role of Plymstock School

Plymstock is required within the OfSTED framework to ensure that the needs of very able and gifted children are met, and the college is expected to:

Establish procedures for identifying very able and gifted children which are transparent, non-discriminatory, flexible and effective

Analyse attainment data, including performance criteria in sport, PE and the creative arts, in order to identify its very able and gifted children and those children who have the potential to reach high levels of performance

Check that particular groups of children are not under-represented in the cohort of very able and gifted children

Ensure its curriculum and other opportunities meet the needs of very able and gifted children

Have a policy on teaching and learning which enables very able and gifted children to learn as much as they can and which takes account of the different needs of these children

Challenge attitudes and behaviour to overcome negative stereotyped generalisations about very able and gifted children

Monitor the outcomes and track the progress of very able and gifted children, paying particular attention to groups of children who may be underachieving, such as highly mobile children, minority ethnic groups including refugees, children in care or disaffected children

Take appropriate and effective action to promote the interests of these children, including providing training for staff as well as support for children and their parents to plan their learning and develop further their talents and experiences.

Partnership with Parents

At Plymstock School we strive for students to fulfil their potential; however this is something that we cannot achieve alone. We understand the need for and value of parents working with us to ensure students have every opportunity to be successful.

Below are key areas that we believe are fundamental to achieving joint success for our students:

• The effective identification and assessment of strengths and needs, especially upon joining Plymstock School

• Sharing high but realistic expectations of further success

• Agreeing on the need for a broad and balanced curriculum, which provides challenge in relevant areas and avoiding undue pressure that comes from an expectation of high ability in everything all the time

• Recognising together that “learning to learn” and the enjoyment of learning are as important as passing tests and examinations.

• We share successes and concerns because effective partnership will be based on the development of trust, and on each partner valuing the other.

Plymstock aims to ensure that parents value an establishment where the Headteacher and teachers are approachable, flexible, and willing to listen and discuss possible courses of action openly. The school has a well-developed ethos and process for involving parents in school life. This enables Plymstock to be successful in forming effective partnerships and ensures that parents are aware of the college’s policy on very able and gifted children, and that they know who to contact to discuss their child’s needs, or their own needs as parents.

Plymstock values parents who are willing to :

• Help and get involved

• See different points of view and understand the ways in which the college operates

• Be open to discuss ways in which they can support their child, within and outside the curriculum.

Plymstock School aims for all students to strive in order for them to fulfil their potential; however this will never be achieved without the backing of parents, teachers and students alike. We must ensure that our partnership grows stronger with time as the needs of individual students are recognised and catered for.