Deputy Headteacher: Student Culture and Character

Our Ethos

At West Hill, our ethos runs through all that we do, teach and offer.  Our core values of Respect, Responsibility and Readiness; our three Rs underpin our biggest asset; relationships.

We are proud of our history, our tradition and our focus on a holistic education that centres around opportunities to develop character and leadership alongside realising academic potential. When a student joins our West Hill family, when they walk our corridors steeped in images of our history or individual and team successes, they find a sense of belonging and purpose, wanting to mark their place and success within it. For many, their family and ancestors have walked the same corridors and the sense of multi-generational pride in attendance is palpable. Our staff, too, share our pride and ethos, which creates an invested and stable staffing, dedicated to aiming high for all.

Our reputation is one of manners, where hard work and effort is praised and valued. The journey that our students go through, learn and develop throughout their years at West Hill is our greatest achievement. We instil that all students should aim high in all elements of their learning and personal conduct - regardless of starting point or additional needs, all students are treated fairly and have equal opportunity. We want all students to believe in themselves, to enjoy school and feel successful with resilience and determination.

Our curriculum does not end at 3pm, nor does it finish on a Friday. We have a strong co-curricular offer that enhances opportunities for all during lunch breaks, after school and at the weekend. Our co-curricular offer works alongside our academic curriculum, creating opportunities to enhance ability and learn new skills creatively, academically, physically and practically to realise an undiscovered passion or interest, building our cultural capital. We are a driving force in our community and offer Park Run to students, families and staff who participate together every Saturday morning, furthering our relationships and modelling the desire to be our personal best.

Our students can access multiple leadership and community opportunities with annual opportunities to become an Ambassador, a Mentor, a Councillor, a Leader and a Prefect.  Whilst we are proud of our sporting excellence, we are equally proud of the excellent leadership learnt. Our staff are united in our belief that opportunities like this build relationships, sense of community and identity in which we maintain high standards for all. Our established staff bring consistency to our students in our delivery of a truly broad and balanced curriculum.

A healthy mind is the foundation for all of the opportunities that we offer. Better never stops, and it is our duty of care to empower our students to be aware of themselves and their ability to self-regulate. We provide support for students with additional needs, notably within our Social and Emotional Mental Health Team, our Pastoral Support Team and Special Educational Needs Team alongside our student Ambassadors and Peer Mentors. We celebrate the diversity in our school and champion difference, knowing our students well and celebrating their personal successes. We are a school that cares and merge our high expectations with the security that support and guidance will be put in place to allow every student the opportunity to learn and thrive at West Hill.

To deliver on our ethos, we stand in partnership with our families and students. We have high aspirations that are reflected in our students, they leave us displaying our values and demonstrate that there is integrity in what we do and the young people that we nurture. A partnership that invests in our West Hill Way and our holistic wellbeing of each student is paramount for our joint success. Together, we maximise the present, build to our past and shape the future.

Our Vision

At West Hill School, we have an uncompromised, aspirational vision that:

• Everybody will experience a rich curriculum that expands beyond the classroom, empowering them to feel successful and make ambitious future choices.
• Every lesson enables individual success through quality adaptive teaching and shared expectations.
• Everybody matters and has a right to be safe, valued and treated with kindness.
• Everybody will be supported to develop a healthy understanding of themselves and respect for others.
• Everybody will be ready and take responsibility for their own learning, choosing thoughtful behaviours that show empathy for others.
• Everybody in our West Hill family will collaborate and support each other to realise their aspirations and celebrate success.