Aims Ethos And Equality

• Be the first choice for children and young people with social and communication difficulties
• Have a local and national reputation for excellence in all that we do with a focus on teaching and learning
• Be a school where our young people self-regulate, enabling them to be safe, flourish and succeed with independence
• Ensure that our young people transition to appropriate destinations with the skills and qualities needed to be as independent as possible

• Value themselves and respect others
• Develop responsibility for their actions
• Make informed choices and decisions independently
• Develop the resilience to become a responsible and active citizen in their community

• Working together as pupils, parents, governors and staff within our community to be an outward-looking school
• Having a relentless pursuit of excellence in all that we do
•  Offering a broad, balanced and appropriate curriculum—delivered by passionate and reflective practitioners—that meets the needs of its learners in a motivating and nurturing environment

• Responsibility
• Respect
• Kindness
• Fairness
• Honesty

The government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British values in the ‘Prevent Strategy’. These values include:

• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

Brent Knoll School, along with all primary and secondary schools in Lewisham, have signed Lewisham’s pledge to tackle race inequalities in education.

We will work to address the inequalities that result from historic, systemic racist policies and practices.

We pledge to take actions that will address access and opportunity for all pupils, by highlighting inequalities and increasing awareness.

We commit to:

• targeting ambitious outcomes for Black Caribbean heritage and Black and Minority Ethnic pupils
• reducing exclusions of Black Caribbean heritage pupils of all ages
• leaders and governors taking a whole school approach to tackling race inequality
• transparent reporting and sharing of borough-wide data trends
• working together in new ways and sharing good practice to tackle race inequality in our school cultures and curriculum
• actively developing high quality relationships with Black Caribbean heritage and Black and Minority Ethnic pupils and their parents
• improving Black representation in school leadership and governing bodies

Why is this work needed?

Evidence shows us there are historic, systemic inequalities in the education system – not just in Lewisham, but in London and across the UK.

Statistics show us that certain demographic groups have lower educational attainment and a higher exclusion rate than others.

This has an impact in the future – in particular, young men of Black Caribbean and dual heritage (Black Caribbean/White) often experience poorer educational outcomes.

This shows us that historically, we have been failing certain groups of young people.  This is something we cannot ignore, because we want all of our young people to achieve their potential.

We know there are many factors that lead to these outcomes. Education and the wider support that a school community can provide is one of these factors. This is something we can work to improve.

How does this affect my child?

We know that no single initiative will bring about change, but the changes we introduce will create lasting transformation in the lives of our young people. We know that these improvements to our education system will be beneficial to all Lewisham children, irrespective of their background.

It is likely that a lot of this work will go unnoticed by your child, as it will be ‘behind the scenes’ in terms of teacher training and policy work.

But in time, this will filter down into the language used, subjects studied, books that are brought home, conversations that you are having with your child about their school day. It will ultimately result in a more representative curriculum in Lewisham schools which reflects the diverse community we are proud to be part of.