AHS Ethos – Strategy and Implementation
Vision:Developing uniquely talented young adults, who are independent, strong and confident. Mission:A girls’ grammar school creating a welcoming environment which draws the very best from all in our community. Achieved by providing an ambitious education that stimulates creative and critical thinking, values diversity and facilitates dynamic personal development. Values:Through the curricular and co-curricular activities we nurture and develop these core values through all of our community: Confidence, Respect, Engagement, Aspiration, Teamwork and Enjoyment |
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How will a student show this value |
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| They will know their subject matter, and they will feel confident in their knowledge and skills.
They will also manage deadlines, workload and engagement in class well. They are likely to try new things to broaden their perspective and to enhance their skills. |
Students who show confidence are better able to perform under pressure. They are more likely to show resilience and thus rebound from tough situations and get back on track. They are more likely to be willing to take risks and step out of their comfort zones. | They will be successful learners.
Learning to perform well under pressure benefits students long after they leave the classroom. In the workplace, confidence will given them an edge in projects, meetings or decisions. |
Resilience Risk-taking |
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| Respect is the act of showing appreciation for someone’s traits or qualities or treating people with dignity and gratitude. Each student will stand as a model, speaking to all members of our community as they would like to be spoken to, treating all members as they would like to be treated, respecting the School environment, showing respect for their own learning and valuing other people’s ideas, values, work and contributions. | Respect is a vital part of establishing a healthy environment. Mutual respect lets all members of the community know they are valued for their achievements, abilities and qualities. Being valued and treated respectfully helps to promote a positive culture in which members are fulfilled, happy, engaged and motivated to perform at their very best. | When people feel respected, they respect others. They are more likely to work in a respectful environment, which reduces stress. And people that feel unstressed and respected are more confident about sharing ideas and working with their peers to achieve their goals.
Respect increases collaboration and productivity; when you show respect to your peers, you value their opinions and ask for their ideas on various issues and problems. This can lead to increased collaboration and more creative solutions, benefiting all. Respect helps to create a fair working environment; an opportunity for all to show their knowledge and skills regardless of their background. A respectful atmosphere prevents favouritism, giving everyone equal opportunity to voice their ideas. This gives everyone the chance to participate regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation, or disability. |
Confidence
Collaboration Enjoyment Engagement Teamwork |
How will a student show this value |
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| Students will want to be involved in their work and community, they will be enthusiastic, have a sense of belonging, and show flexibility and confidence in addressing challenge. | Students who are engaged in their School community have better outcomes. They have better academic outcomes, they may be happier, more confident, more able to adapt to change. They are more likely to be resilient. They are less likely to receive Behaviour points. | Student engagement has increasingly been positioned as a defining characteristic of high quality teaching and learning in higher education.
It leads to motivation, and creates a positive impact on all concerned. It encourages students to learn more and thus promotes individual growth. It allows students to build better relationships and empowers students with the ability to acquire and practice the necessary skills to build a successful future. |
Resilience
Confidence Flexibility Enjoyment |
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| Students with dreams, hopes, or ambitions to achieve a life goal, particularly overarching life goals that help provide a sense of purpose and direction.
At AHS we hope that our students are always thinking about their next step forward toward achieving their dreams, that they think about the big picture. They assess their weaknesses in order to become stronger and work hard to become the absolute best they can. Might be described as ambitious. |
One’s level of aspiration may be connected to one’s sense of self-worth. Having high goals can be motivating and may indicate that you have a strong belief in your ability to achieve those ambitions.
Compared to students with low aspirations and low expectations, having higher aspirations improves school achievement even if expectations are low. Furthermore, complete alignment between high aspirations, high expectations and high achievement is the most important predictor for future educational behaviour among students. |
Long-term personal goals can help students make life choices and engage in certain behaviours that can put them on the path toward achieving those life aspirations.
Aspirations can also help give life purpose and meaning. They can give students something to hope for and aim towards. Having a vision for the future can also help students feel more motivated and inspired. Having aspirations can also help keep students on task and oriented toward their goals. |
Resilience
Self-efficacy Life satisfaction Self-control |
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| Successful teamwork begins with great communication skills.
Students will have plenty of opportunities to develop their listening and speaking skills during partner activities and group projects. Team sports, school plays, and debate teams are also great experiences for learning how to be a part of a team. We don’t underestimate the impact that a qualified, professional instructor or coach can have on your student’s enjoyment of team activities. |
Teamwork teaches essential social skills; communication, active listening and effective speaking. Teamwork teaches students how to respectfully and confidently express their ideas and opinions effectively in a group setting. It is also important for students to recognize that speaking is not the same as talking. Speaking is about understanding how to communicate with an audience.
Teamwork improves self confidence. It teaches students that their voices are respected and valued. Knowing that she will be heard helps build a student’s self-confidence, while encouraging further participation in group activities. Teamwork reduces bullying; one of the biggest benefits of teamwork is its potential to dramatically reduce the effects of bullying on students. Being a part of a team that genuinely cares about its members will also give a student a strong support system. Furthermore, the self-confidence from team activities may empower a student to stand up for other victims of bullying who may not have a similar support system. |
Even the most introverted and quietest members of the team can become active participants and learn to enjoy team activities, at university or School.
Teamwork sets students up for future success. The benefits of teamwork almost always translate into success outside the classroom. There are very few career paths that operate in isolation. As an employee in almost any industry, people are required to work closely with others. Introducing students to collaborative environments early in their school experiences presents opportunities for them to be more productive and joyful as they work with others in a team-based environment throughout their lives. |
Communication Resilience Confidence Collaboration Respect Risk-taking |
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| Students will be motivated to behave, there will be high attendance and high focus on their academic work. Students will evidence a love and appreciation of school and curriculum.
They will show a positive attitude, enthusiasm and want-to in the students. A willingness to take risks in their learning, and a curiosity to explore their learning – social, cultural and academic. |
Results of the research show that, thanks to joyful lectures, students are not only happier, but they also remember more information, even if topics relate to purely academic problems. Thus proved also that one of the barriers to learning is a rigid and serious School approach. | Enjoyment can relieve stress. It can trigger the release of endorphins, which promote an overall sense of well-being. It can improve brain function. Enjoyment can also help ward off stress and depression.
Enjoyment of a task can stimulate the mind and boost creativity. It can also stimulate imagination, helping one adapt and solve problems. It can improve relationships and connection to others, by fostering empathy, compassion, and trust. |
Confidence Resilience Teamwork Risk-taking Learning |
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The AHS Values Learning Journey:
To see how the AHS Values are celebrated is subject areas visit the individual pages in Subjects.
How the AHS and British Values work together at AHS:
The AHS Values represented through the FACT club: