Vision and Values
Our overarching vision for our school is as follows:
All pupils receive the very best education and care;
are best supported to live happy and fulfilling lives beyond Ash Field;
enjoy as much independence as possible;
and are able to positively contribute to society.
We are an enthusiastic and professional staff team who keep the progress and development of children at the centre of our thinking. We believe strongly in creating new and exciting opportunities and making sure that learning is both engaging and relevant. Parents are a vital part of the team and are very positive and supportive.
Our pupils’ individual needs are our focus at all times and we continually strive to improve our provision to meet their needs effectively. We don’t want our pupils to thrive simply during a particular session or even over the duration of their placement, but instead we are concerned with sustained improvements and life-long impact. We recognise that this is what will really improve both their life-chances and the quality of their life.
Whilst we take our responsibilities incredibly seriously and are always driving to improve for the children and young people in our care, we also know that pupils achieve best when they are having fun and this too is a key part of the Ash Field philosophy.
Many values underpin our work but as a staff team, five stood out for us: Trust, Respect, Aspiration, Collaboration and Kindness ('keeping us on TRACK').
Trust – We have trust in each other. We always start by assuming best intentions and have a level of professional trust which allows people to carry out their jobs. The same is true for external professionals, especially those from the NHS and social care, as well as parents and carers. We recognise the need to have the belief that ‘it could happen here’, especially in relation to safeguarding, but this does not undermine our trust in each other; stakeholders, including staff and parents / carers understand the reasons for this and why we report concerns. Whilst quality assurance measures are rigorous, they too are underpinned by trust as they are supportive and positive, assuming best intentions, and in place to ensure we can all work together to provide the best for the pupils of Ash Field.
Respect – We respect ourselves, each other and of course the children and young people we care for. Dignity and the highest standard of care are a significant part of this. We value the opinions of all those involved in a pupil’s life: the child themselves, their parents or carers, the staff working with them in both Resi and the day school, and external agencies, particularly from health and social care. We know that by working together and respecting each other’s views and wishes, we can achieve so much more. This respect leads to trust between children and adults, between staff and with parents.
Aspiration – We want the very best for all of our pupils, staff and parents. We are ambitious in our aims and always keen to go further, developing both ourselves and others. For us, ‘Outstanding’ isn’t enough; we want to be providing the absolute best care and education for all.
Collaboration - We are One Team. We all recognise our individual role and each other’s in achieving our core aims as part of a team. We accept that our roles come with different functions, expectations and therefore responsibilities, and yet all roles are equally valid and valuable. Staff, pupils, parents and carers, and external professionals feel part of our team.
Kindness – We know that children learn ‘how to be’ from what they see adults do far more than what adults say and we want our children to always see kindness, whatever the situation, so that they learn to do the same. Our children and parents deserve kindness. Many of them have gone through extremely difficult times in their lives already and showing understanding and compassion is often greatly needed. In addition, as a staff team, looking after each other and being kind helps support our well-being in what is often a difficult but truly amazing and rewarding job. We must be one team, connected and united to provide the very best to our children and their families.