In any school community values are essential for building positive relationships and creating a climate for learning – between pupils, staff, parents, partners and the local community. At Forfar Academy, we share a common sense of values – the compass that guides our approaches, relationships, policies and behaviour.

We believe these values should underpin every decision that is made in the school.

Our vision is that by working together we ensure we are supporting all members of our school community to lead a virtuous life.

Happy Hearts, Happy Minds

At Forfar Academy we believe in promoting Happy Hearts and Happy Minds across the whole of the school community. We believe that we are all learners and that we learn best when we feel good about ourselves.

We will see smiling faces across the campus. We will see staff, students and parents engaged in positive discussions about learning. We will see students active, engaged and enjoying their learning. We will see a curriculum and support structure that promotes the mental and physical wellbeing of all. We will see students helping and supporting each other and developing positive relationships with each other. We will see a high level of cross community and intergenerational links.

We will see members of the school community accessing help and support of the highest quality when they need it.

We will hear laughter, positive discussion, the buzz of learning and appropriate language.
We will hear students, staff, parents and visitors being welcomed and conversations that are respectful and a high standard of manners.

We will all feel safe and nurtured. We will feel respected, valued and motivated. Most importantly we will feel that we belong and are part of something good, a community that we want to be part of.

Perseverance

At Forfar Academy we believe that perseverance and resilience are key to developing successful learners.

We will see students working hard in classes on challenging learning. We will see them employing a range of strategies when they are struggling with their learning including peer support, reflecting on past experience, using a range of resources including the responsible use of ICT and seeking support from their teachers. We will see a can do, will do approach from all who are part of the school community. We will see students who are not afraid to take risks. We will see students engaged in planned learning across the whole of their school experience that will take them out of their comfort zone.

We will hear high quality learning conversations taking place including students reflecting on their strengths and their next steps in learning. We will hear teachers providing high quality and individualised feedback to students. We will hear students working collaboratively using the language of learning to encourage and support each other. We will hear high quality professional dialogue between staff sharing what works and problem solving together. We will see staff who do not give up on students or when strategies do not work straight away.

We will feel motivated by accomplishing achievements that have taken effort and have been challenging. We will not feel intimidated by change or new ways of working if they improve our students achievements. We will feel confident in taking risks knowing that we learn when things don’t go to plan.

Being the Best You Can

At Forfar Academy we have high expectations of ourselves and others.

We will see high levels of attainment and achievement at school, local, national and international level. We will see that success celebrated widely across the school community and we will value all achievements where our students and staff strive to be their best. We will see all students participating in a wide range of activities and achievements. We will see a stimulating environment for learning with high quality displays of student work and achievements. All of our systems and processes will be designed to support this aim.

We will ensure the Wellbeing Indicators are a universal entitlement and lead to learning that will support our students be the best they can be. We will see effective approaches to learning and teaching based on what works and responsive teaching that uses assessment to clearly identify next steps in learning through feedback to students and teachers. We will see high quality and peer led professional development opportunities to support all our staff achieve at the highest levels.

We will hear conversations between staff and students setting aspirational targets and reflecting on progress towards those targets. We will hear high quality coaching conversations across the whole school. We will hear success being acknowledged and celebrated at individual, class, year group, house, staff and whole school level.

We will feel proud to be part of the school and valued as individuals.

We will feel cared for and that our efforts are appreciated. We will feel challenged by our high expectations but know that we will have the support of the school community to help us reach our individual goals and aspirations.

Opportunity

At Forfar Academy we believe that all should have the opportunity to succeed and access a high quality learning experience.

We will see inclusive classrooms where approaches to learning and teaching are differentiated and provide an appropriate level of challenge to all our students. We will see teachers and support staff consistently employing strategies to reduce the impact of barriers to learning. We will see a curriculum that has breadth and challenge and is flexible enough to respond to individual needs and aspirations and that will provide all of our students with the springboard to lead successful and fulfilling lives. We will see our students succeeding in a breadth of qualifications at a level that is right for them. We will see students being supported in planning their learner journey through a wide range of pathways involving a range of partners, providers and business & industry links. We will aim to reduce the impact of the poverty related attainment gap and ensure all of our students have access to the full range of school experiences. We will see events, engagement and conversations with our parents and carers that will help them support their children in their learning. We will see all of our staff engaged in continuing professional development and leadership opportunities across the school.

We will hear happy, motivated and active students busy in their learning. We will hear clear and differentiated explanations and learning taking place in classrooms. We will hear students engaged in mapping out their learner journeys and talking about their aspirations at times of personalisation and choice. We will hear teachers and support staff engaged in discussion about how to make learning accessible for all of our students.

We will feel included and listened to. We will feel that we are making a real difference to the lives of those we work alongside. We will feel that we are being supported in developing the skills, knowledge and experiences that will help us meet our individual ambitions and goals.

Teamwork

At Forfar Academy we believe that all we achieve is through teamwork.

We will see people working in teams across the school – action groups, senior management team, faculty teams, support teams and cross curricular teams. We will see clear plans that set out the roles and responsibilities of team members. We will see students working as teams in classes and across the whole school, through curricular and extra-curricular activity, as prefects and as a pupil council. We will
see review meetings that encourage all our partners to work as team to meet individual student need. We will see high quality teamwork between teachers, parents and the parent council.

We will hear students engaged in high quality collaborative discussion with their peers and with staff. We will hear constructive feedback given to students and parents that encourages effective feedback. We will hear supportive but challenging conversations at whole school meetings, faculty meetings and action groups within a spirit of collegiality and shared accountability. We will hear positive feedback from parents and carers and our partners showing they are included as part of our team. We will hear teachers talking to teachers about effective learning and teaching.

We will feel included, listened to and that our opinions are valued. We will all feel that we are part of a bigger team all moving in the same direction. We will feel that our strengths are recognised and put to
good use and that we are supported in working on individual areas for development.

Respect and Integrity

We are proud to be part of the Forfar Academy community.

We will see students wearing our school uniform. We will see all members of the school community showing respect for each other, treating each other in line with all our values and showing understanding and tolerance of others. We will see litter being put in bins, displays of achievement, awards and certificates on display. We will see a well presented and cared for building and environment for learning. We will see everyone looking out for each other. Good manners and appropriate behaviour will be visible across the campus and into the local community. We will see our expectations that allow effective learning and teaching and our students to flourish being carried out on a daily basis.

We will hear views and opinions being heard and respected in classrooms. We will hear the calm tones and voices of purposeful learning and communication. We will hear more dialogue and less monologue. We will hear the highest level of professional dialogue when discussing how we support our students – with the students themselves, their parents and carers and between staff.

We will understand that we all have a responsibility to challenge any behaviour that undermines what we stand for. We will feel happy, safe and secure. We will feel that our work, effort, ideas and contributions are valued and celebrated.