A clash of ideas – a prefabbed badging Diploma recognising the wider / extra curricular learning experiences of pupils at The Wellington Academy. A leadership request to developed the RESPECT values agenda. A student leadership created values construct that we needed to promote and get behind. A copy of Dr Neil Hawkes books in my conference potato sack goodies bag.
A value is a principle that guides our thinking and behaviour.
The Diploma infrastructure has already been built on our O365 platform with a wide range activities / badges to claim however these were discrete items but no traction. Second, we had the RESPECT values but no brand. That said, one of my colleagues had added some much needed definition to these values.
Next, values based education. I have to admit, I needed convincing. I had previously explored the benefits of Service Education programmes, so it was hardly a leap of faith. A greater impression had been made by my daughter, who had adopted her schools SUPER Values (Success, Understanding, Partnership, Equality and Respect) for her own teaching play time.
Can the promotion of values develops the culture of a school, steer the ethical decisions of its students and staff, parents or governors even?
The research outlined… it seems that we teachers need the confirmation of “the research” presently. That notes, Hawkes presents the notion that Values are universal. Accessible to all. Values have in that Values help pupils explore their inner world of thoughts, feelings, personal identity, experiences and emotions. Values help “pupils understand themselves more clearly,” and develop “greater personal responsibility for their learning and behaviour.” Values words provide a common vocabulary that enables Values thinking.
Where next?
I still have plenty of learning / reading to better understand VbE. We have enlivened the RESPECT brand and we now have the operational tasks of breathing action into these meaningful words through the Diploma and to support staff to support the pupils. We need to make room for RESPECT in the tutor programme and lastly, we need to add value to working towards and achieving the Diploma (and I most certainly do not want that process to feel like a sales pitch).
RESPECT DIPLOMA
Beyond the curriculum, using the O365 platform, evidence your RESPECT; blog it, snap it, record it, get a reference, recommendation, referral. Plus any other left-field evidencing pupils may think of? Sales? Fund raising? fantastical failures? Tutors will assess the effort and exemplification of the RESPECT value and badge it. Quality assurance is one task we know the team have to consider. Evidence all eight Values and achieve The Wellington Academy Diploma.
Meanwhile I need to find time to think through how I would promote “belonging?”
Hawkes rationale is certainly compelling? Hawkes suggests the a Values based Education
…encourages reflective and aspirational attributes and attitudes, which can be nurtured to help young people discover the very best of themselves, which then enables them to act as responsible, humane citizens. Such future citizens are more likely to contribute to a national democratic culture, which is strengthened by the value of trust and supported by values such as respect, tolerance, equity, cooperation, openness, justice and transparency.
My thanks for the contribution of Ross Birtwhistle and Ryan Hopton. Acoording to Ryan, a second very powerful signpost is the Jubilee Centre and “A Framework for Character Education in Schools.”
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