Ethos & Values

At Highfield, our community is our family. Our motto – Children Come First -  was chosen by our families and staff because it illustrates why we are all here - to  keep our children at the forefront of all we do.

Everyone in our school community is treated equally and with respect. We are interested in the views of our children, who are represented by the school councillors they have voted for. We work hard to form meaningful partnerships with our parents and carers. We make sure we share successes, support families when they need it and understand any worries or concerns they have. We listen carefully and, because we listen, we build up trusting successful relationships with everyone.

Trust lies at heart of every great partnership and we have discovered, through regular questionnaires and feedback, that families and children love our school.

In school, we ensure our children belong. They have a strong sense of belonging within their friendships groups, classes, houses and as individuals.

We come together to  make up a huge, happy family.

We enjoy a busy and bustling school week full of exciting learning, sports, crafts, performing arts (including street dance, music tuition, and acting), our breakfast club which is open every day, as well as our weekly celebrations and rewards.

The School Council                                                     

Our school council were elected at the start of the year, by their classes, to represent them and communicate whole school issues.

We are a Unicef Rights Respecting School and have achieved our gold award! Our school council are the steering group for the work we are doing together to promote the rights of the child at Highfield.

The school council organise competitions, plan our fundraising events, lead the work of anti-bullying and contribute to decision making within school. All our councillors take their job very seriously and set an example, investing their time to make our school better. 

Anti-Bullying Buddies

Our anti-bullying buddies were introduced by the school council this year during anti-bullying week. Their main role is to work with the staff in school to ensure play times are a happy time for every child at Highfield. Children interested in becoming a buddy applied for the role or were nominated by a friend in school. Selected pupils were then given training by the school councillors before working alongside staff on the yard.

School House Captains                                                     

Highfield House Captains are made up of representatives from each of the school Houses, these are Dawson, Swan, Doxford, Clanny and Hartley. The House Captains lead and motivate the children in their house to work hard as they act as good role models for all pupils.

The names of the Houses were chosen to celebrate our proud heritage on Wearside. We want our children to know their history , understand their heritage and contribute to a great future for themselves and our region.

Our Curriculum Aims

Our exciting, engaging curriculum aims to:

• Develop lively and enquiring minds
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Learn the essential skills of life, including number and information technology
• Explore and understand the world in which they live
• Develop an appreciation of the interdependence of individuals, groups and nations
• Express themselves creatively and enjoy the creativity of others
• Express an appreciation of a wide range of achievement
• Develop personal, moral and spiritual values including respect for others
• Be prepared for the opportunities and responsibilities of life in a changing world
• Learn how to learn and regard learning as an enjoyable, lifelong activity
• Develop a wide range of interests and appreciate the need for a healthy lifestyle
• Set high personal standards of achievement and value excellence  

To achieve these aims, the curriculum is:

• Broad so that it provides a wide range of knowledge, skills and experiences
• Balanced so that each subject has sufficient time to contribute effectively to learning
• Relevant so that learning can link the pupil's experience to applications in the world at large
• Coherent so that topics can be linked to make the whole learning experience more meaningful
• Progressive so that what is taught builds in a systematic way upon what has already been learned
• Differentiated so that what is taught and the tasks that are set are matched to the aptitude and ability of each pupil
• Accessible so that there is equality of opportunity for all