Our Values Education Programme is intended to support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every pupil within the school, which we hope will then stay with them throughout their lives.

The Core Values for our school are Happiness, Caring and Respect.

These are embedded throughout every aspect of our school. 

Values Based Education at William Austin Infant School.

We are proud to announce that on the 16th March 2023 we achieved reaccreditation for the Quality Mark as a Values-based School.

Joseph Piatczanyn - Values Education Assessor said that:

''At William Austin Infant School, Values-based Education is a firm foundation, enabling all individuals to shine.

The school has strongly demonstrated to me that, there is:

• A whole-staff commitment to values-based education, implemented implicitly and explicitly in all interactions. Adults at William Austin Infant School shine with their smiles.
• A strong sense of staff unity, illustrated richly in team member’s passion and articulation of values-based education implementation and impact.
• A sense of true happiness – which feeds into the warm, welcoming, organised and vibrant classroom environments, atmospheres and furthermore, parental satisfaction.
• Excellent, harmonious and polite behaviours from children.
• Focused, purposeful and calm playtimes, lunchtimes and lessons.
• A rich commitment to ensuring the visibility and articulacy of Values-based Education, enabling children to demonstrate and understand the impact of values-based behaviours.

My sincere thanks to the children, staff and parents who made me so welcome on the day. More importantly, my thanks for the long-standing commitment to values-based education – the long-term impact of which was clear to see. William Austin Infant School promotes itself as a school ‘where all individuals shine’ – I am inclined to agree!''

“Wellbeing is a clear focus at William Austin Infant School, underpinned by a tangible whole-staff commitment to Values-based Education.''

''William Austin Infant School is a school where leadership promotes and enables disseminated ownership of a values-based approach. ''

''William Austin Infant School is a school ‘where all individuals shine’. Outstanding behaviour, supported by outstanding, values-based relationships enables this ethos.''

''It is a joy to hear such young children articulating themselves with a mature, ethical vocabulary. This values-based approach to their language is equipping them richly to grow with positive human values.''

''William Austin Infant School is a large and busy Infant school which, despite its size, is a place of calm, positivity and purpose. A pro-active approach to enabling periods of reflection contributes richly to this.''

''William Austin Infant School certainly does provide an excellent values-based foundation on which children can grow as well-rounded individuals, preparing for life in modern Britain. Classroom and corridor displays clearly illustrate a rich, vibrant and values-based environment. Staff and children take great pride in the presentation of the school. The school’s efforts to engage with values-based enterprises is admirable.'' 

 VbE Quality Mark Report for William Austin Infant School, 2023.

To read the full report click on the link below

‘Living the Values the William Austin Way…’

At William Austin Infant School every individual is valued for who they are and what they contribute to the school. Our Values Education Programme is intended to support the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of every pupil within the school, which we hope will then stay with them throughout their lives. We believe a Values-based Education nourishes and enables learners to flourish, making a difference to the world through who and how they are each day in everything they do.

The whole staff team and all pupils at William Austin Infant School are involved in promoting the values and recognising where others are ‘living the values’. We also value our parents and carers contributions and encourage the values we share in school to be talked about and practised at home and within the community. We enjoy inviting parents into our classrooms to share our values lessons with us, which not only empowers our children and encourages them to reflect on their values further, but also helps us as adults to model our own values towards each other and continue to develop respectful working relationships

The values developed through the Values-based Education Programme within our school have been selected by pupils, staff, governors, parents and carers and are recognised as being important within the school and local community as well as throughout life.

The values we teach help our pupils to work with one another co-operatively and with tolerance and respect. They learn the importance of friendship, understanding and trust and acquire a tool bank of skills which they can then use to approach life with confidence and hope.

These values, along with many more, make our school community happy and harmonious, where pupils, staff and parents feel safe and secure.

British Values.

At William Austin Infant School we also aim, as reinforced by the DfE, “to promote the fundamental British Values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faith and beliefs”.

At William Austin Infant School, these British Values act as our ‘core’ within our Values Education Programme and underpin our school ethos and values towards learning and towards caring for and respecting each other. These British Values are taught explicitly with ‘British Values weeks’ throughout the year as well as throughout the curriculum.

During lockdown, we asked the children to share how they were 'Living our Values through Lockdown'. Click on the link below for more information, and for the fortnightly Values Tasks that were set at that time.