Vision
At Altofts Junior School, our vision is to provide an education and environment that enables pupils to be independent life-long learners, who are accepting and understanding citizens, prepared exceptionally well for life beyond our school.
Values
We pride ourselves on our welcoming environment where all are respected, valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. Our values are reflected in our commitment to independence, inclusion and integrity. We are driven by a shared passion for fostering the potential of every child, ensuring that our school is a place of ambition, enthusiasm and accomplishment. These values are integral to each aspect of our school.
Drivers
Our curriculum is designed taking into account the needs of our pupils; their prior learning and experience; the National curriculum; and the findings of educational research.
Our Academy Trust
Since April 2026 we have been a proud member of Waterton Academy Trust, providing even more opportunities for our pupils to shine. As part of the Waterton family, we ensure that success for all is not a goal, but an expectation.
Numeracy and Literacy
Our core subjects provide pupils with the opportunity to secure the numeracy and literacy skills. We place high importance on building on the early reading and phonics skills secured in the infant schools. We expose children to rich, high quality texts throughout school to nurture a love of reading. Small steps, regularly practised and built upon, together with time spent securing fluency and automaticity are designed to release cognitive load, allowing pupils to access the more complex concepts of the curriculum we offer. Ultimately, this allows pupils to know more, remember more, understand more and attain more.
Oracy, Communication and vocabulary
Oracy is taught progressively across the curriculum providing pupils with the tools to express themselves effectively. We plan for pupils to explain, collaborate, present and debate within the curriculum and ensure everyone is valued and knows that their opinion is important. Specific vocabulary is chosen and explicitly taught across the curriculum to help understanding and communication of both substantive and disciplinary curriculum knowledge.
Independence & resilience: Understanding what it means to be a learner
Our curriculum is delivered through our Teaching and Learning principles at the heart of which are metacognitive strategies. Pupils learn how to become self-regulated learners aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and able to motivate themselves to engage in, and improve, their learning. We want pupils to take responsibility for their learning and understand that they can learn from their mistakes which builds resilience. Pupils see the importance of re-drafting and critiquing their work in order to create the best outcome that they can possibly achieve: we strive to help pupils understand that with practice and determination, they can achieve amazing things, instilling a good work ethic for life.
High aspirations
Through our curriculum, pupils will become confident in their own potential and have high aspirations leading to high outcomes in attainment and progress. This is delivered in a variety of ways: ‘every child should campaign’ focusing on key life skills children should acquire and be exposed to; a range of educational visits and visitors to school with wider curriculum links allowing for real experiences and immersive learning; and links to future careers embedded into the curriculum along with explicitly themed events. Exposure to these things provides pupils with ambition and aspiration to be life-long learners. They have a readiness for the next stage of their education and beyond into adulthood.
Physical & Mental health and self-regulation
Through our curriculum, pupils will become confident in their own potential and have high aspirations leading to high outcomes in attainment and progress. This is delivered in a variety of ways: ‘every child should campaign’ focusing on key life skills children should acquire and be exposed to; a range of educational visits and visitors to school with wider curriculum links allowing for real experiences and immersive learning; and links to future careers embedded into the curriculum along with explicitly themed events. Exposure to these things provides pupils with ambition and aspiration to be life-long learners. They have a readiness for the next stage of their education and beyond into adulthood.
Accepting and understanding of individuality and the wider world
We want our pupils to learn to understand and empathise with people who are both different and similar to themselves. We will teach children to learn to discuss their ideas and speak appropriately for themselves, advocate for others, challenge stereotypes and become resilient individuals. Pupils will learn about a range of cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds and that everyone should have equality of opportunity. We teach our pupils to have empathy, respect and acceptance for the diverse range of people that they may encounter in the wider world.
British Values
In accordance with The Department for Education, we aim to actively promote British values in schools to ensure our children leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. We believe it is important to promote the inclusive values which make Britain great.
Pupils are encouraged to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law.
Here are some of the ways we promote British Values at Altofts Junior School alongside a program of whole school assemblies.
Democracy
School council – child led pupil voice
Voting for student council respresentative for each class
Voting for House Captains
Democracy is shown through history topics such as the Vikings and Saxons
Pupils involved in the recruitment of new staff
Rule of Law
Behaviour/qnti-bullying policies
School rules
Rewards and sanctions
Road safety/bikeability
E-safety
Sports’ competitions
Visits from police and the fire service
Visit to Parliament and Royal Courts of Justice for Junior Leaders
Tolerance and respect
Good manners
Expectations of behaviour
Celebrating different festivals
Catering for different dietary needs
Links to the church
Selling poppies
Curriculum covering different religions
Learning to disagree in a respectful way
Individual Liberty
Celebrating achievements
Challenging stereotypes
Responsible roles such as reading ambassador and eco-warrior
Striving for personal goals
Junior Duke reward program to develop individual life skills