Our Aims and Ethos

At Yarm School we seek to bring out the best in every boy and girl in our care and to give them the best possible all round education by “Educating for Life”. Our aims and ethos are listed below:

We aim

• to build and sustain a friendly, tolerant and supportive community in which all its members are valued equally,
• to teach pupils to enjoy their education, to see it as a lifelong experience and to support them in making important career decisions,
• to pursue high personal, academic and social standards,
• to develop in our pupils personal qualities such as curiosity, concern, industry, reliability, honesty, creativity, enterprise, appreciation and respect,
• to develop an active and open relationship with parents,
• to encourage pupils to take full advantage of the opportunities on offer to them,
• to show a sense of responsibility towards the local and wider community, and to prepare pupils for the challenges and opportunities of adult life.

Our Ethos

We believe that the School should be a happy and positive community, characterised by an appreciation of, and respect for, the work of every individual.

Our School aspires to excellence and has high expectations of every boy and girl. We want our pupils to do their best and we insist on high standards of industry and application. We expect pupils to be honest, to practise good manners in all their relationships, to be reliable and punctual and be consistently smart in their appearance. We want them to be proud of their School.

In following Christian principles, we seek to promote mutual tolerance and a friendly atmosphere, in which pupils of all ethnic and cultural backgrounds, of all religious persuasions and of varying levels of ability are welcome. We believe that every boy and girl has the right to look for happiness and security at School. We insist that no pupil or pupils make other pupils miserable, whether through overt bullying or through less obvious forms of pressure or alienation. We attach particular gravity to such offences.

We recognise that our pupils will have various talents and different rates of development. We value every achievement, however modest, which stems from the honest efforts of the individual boy and girl. It is our hope that every pupil should discover at least one area of school life in which he or she can show genuine prowess.

Our School depends upon the support of parents. We will always aim to keep parents informed about their child’s progress in school and to respond to any requests promptly and courteously. We are fortunate to have a parental body which is so supportive of the School and its aims.

A good school is made by good staff whose talents, zeal, morale, teamwork and professional competence are of vital importance. It is the responsibility of the School’s Management to promote their professional development.

The staff are exemplars at all times to the pupils, who will note most attentively every aspect of their professional and personal conduct, including any hint of double standards. All staff are expected to share and uphold the aims and ethos of the School. When they judge that it is necessary to criticise, correct or punish it is important that they should avoid any language or behaviour likely to undermine their professional status.

We hope and trust that all staff will derive pleasure and satisfaction from their service to Yarm School and that none will ever feel inhibited from raising with the Headmaster or colleagues in the Management Team any matters of serious concern or anxiety.