Values and Ethos
Lymm High School is committed to providing the highest quality education to its young people and ensuring we are developing them for full participation in society as adults.
Our Values and Ethos summary states:
‘We are a high performing comprehensive school with a proud tradition of service to our community for over 400 years’
As part of this tradition we ensure that our students are socially aware and are given opportunities to develop so that they:
- (are) successful and achieve their full potential
- Enjoy learning and become independent lifelong learners
- Become socially responsible citizens and members of the community
- Become confident and capable individuals.
Our SMSC provision is designed to support the following two key priorities set out in our Values & Ethos statement:
- Encouraging participation in a wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular activities, including opportunities to develop leadership skills
- Promoting the importance of being decent, socially responsible members of the community.
We work hard to achieve this through our daily interactions with students: role modelling the behaviour we would like to see, as well as a range of different curricular and extracurricular vehicles. These include: the Life programme, the subject curriculum, The Leadership Ladder, the tutorial programme, the Hall structure, Hall councils and assemblies.
SMSC through the Subject Curriculum
We conducted an audit of SMSC in the curriculum in late 2015. Heads of Faculty, Senior Leadership Team and Pastoral staff were asked to read: ‘Promoting Fundamental British values as part of SMSC in Schools,’ (November 2014) and ‘Improving SMSC development of pupils,’ (November 2014).
PREVENT strategy training was also delivered to the SLT in late October 2015 by Ruth Ball, our safeguarding lead, and to then all staff on 2nd November.
Staff were then asked to audit where, through their curriculum, they were developing students’ SMSC knowledge. This information was then compiled into the attached document so the school could audit where they were addressing each of the SMSC strands through subject teaching: Please click here for the SMSC audit.
The Life Programme and Assemblies
Students in all years also receive PSHE and PREVENT education through our Life Programme: please click here for documentation for each Key Stage.
As part of the Life programme, students also experience an in-depth study of a key area through our drop down “Life” days: Year 7 look at Equality and Diversity, Year 8 at Sex and Relationships Education, Year 9 at Democracy, British Values and the Rule of Law and Year 10 at What is Religious Belief?
Our assembly programme is also an important way of delivering information on a diversity of topics such as CSE, radicalisation, environment issues, as well as building a socially responsible attitude (for example, in raising money for Hall charities or developing care for our school and wider environment.) click here for the assembly schedule.
A number of other ad hoc sessions are also offered: for example, on careers IAG, Risk and Risky Behaviours, Contraception, Sexual Health and Futures Planning.
Student Leadership
Our school is also committed to developing the leadership capacity of young people. Our Leadership Ladder programme is an important part of this. It encourages our young people to participate and take leadership opportunities in a gently staged way and recognises their achievement of different levels of ‘leadership colours’. Please click here for more information on the Leadership Ladder.
We also have an active student leadership through school and hall councils building to participation as prefect or member of the Head Boy or Head Girl Team. Hall Council runs in each of the five Halls: Dunham, Tatton, Arley, Moreton and Walton. Each council is convened by our Head of Halls. Hall Councils run on a half-termly cycle and agenda items are decided based upon the form councils which take place the week before. In the week following the Hall Councils, representatives from the 5 Halls attend School Council where ideas are followed up and discussed.
We also have two Hall Captains in each Hall who lead on charity and hall events. In addition we have the Head Boy, Head Girl and Head Boy/Girl Team who regularly represent the school and lead on different aspects of community life in the sixth form and in main school. We also have an active prefect group who serve the community through carrying out duties within school.
Our Leadership Ladder awards scheme and student leadership structures contribute to our SMSC offer, particularly the ‘Enable pupils to develop their self- knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence’ and ‘Encourage pupils to accept responsibility for their behaviour, show initiative and understand how they can contribute positively to the lives of those living and working in the locality in which the school is situated and to society more widely’ strands.
Sporting and Enrichment Activities
Students participate in many different sports activities that develop leadership: for example acting as Hall and Form Sports Captains in organising teams for interhall and local sporting events. Young Leaders also volunteer with lunchtime and after school clubs, acting as referees, coaches and mentors. Many of our young leaders also assist with primary school events such as athletics competitions. Our sixth form BTEC Sport students assist with KS3 PE lessons in a number of different roles. We are an Enhanced Offer School for the Youth and Sports Trust.
Duke of Edinburgh
Participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme develops leadership, independence and resilience. Students volunteer to help in their local community, developing a socially responsible attitude. Our students are involved in a wide range of volunteering roles: coaching sports or teaching younger students: for example as maths and reading buddies. Some of our students volunteer in charity shops, or work with children’s groups, for example leading clubs for year 7s. Students are also involved in helping at Brownies, volunteering in a community café, in the local library and parks.
Afritwin and Extra Curricular Trips and Visits
Afritwin develops students’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural education in a myriad of ways. Students raise funds for the project, developing a socially moral attitude as well as their own self-esteem and self-confidence. They show commitment and resilience to the project over a number of years culminating in a visit to South Africa. Here they learn about the lives of others, visit schools and directly experience a very different culture and society.
Lymm High School also offers a very wide range of school trips and visits where students can experience different cultures and traditions: for example visiting the Berber in the Atlas in Morocco.
Residential facilities
We are enormously fortunate to own our own fantastically well-equipped residential centre. All students attend an induction week at Tynn y Felin, where the emphasis is on developing our young peoples’ social and emotional skills, their resilience, independence self-belief and self-confidence. Students partake in a wide range of outdoor pursuits as well as having time for self-reflection and developing social connections with their peers and teachers. Students also visit Tynny for residential field work, for example in Geography and Biology and for Study Skills.
Links with Local Faith Communities
We have very strong links with our local churches visiting for assemblies, recitals and our special Founders Day Service. We have a youth worker form the Warrington Youth for Christ Team who leads assemblies, co teaches in RE lessons and runs sessions with students. The emphasis is always on looking at different perspectives on faith and students are encouraged to ask questions whilst learning about different views.