Our Ethos & Values

To enable each child to reach their potential by providing a curriculum of opportunity and discovery.

To equip our pupils with the knowledge and skills necessary to use them independently and with increasing confidence.

To nurture positive social interaction, fostering healthy relationships and effective communication.

To enable our pupils and staff to understand and value themselves as members of a community, encouraging active participation and contribution.

To provide purposeful leisure time to develop safe, healthy, and meaningful interests that will sustain pupils beyond their time with us at Wells Park School.

To aspire to the development of each child's happiness and well-being, creating a nurturing environment that positively impacts them as individuals as well as those around them.

To provide support and guidance to parents, empowering them to enable their child’s development.

To encourage sustained positive behaviour, involvement, and learning without reliance on medication, focusing on therapeutic approaches to support well-being.

‘Nobody is allowed to hurt you.’

At Wells Park School, the safety and well-being of our students are paramount. We have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to any form of harm of violence within our community. We provide a nurturing environment where children can feel protected and secure in the knowledge that the adults will keep them safe.

‘You are not allowed to hurt anybody else.’

We promote a culture of respect, empathy, and kindness within our community. It is essential that everyone at Wells Park School treats others with dignity, compassion, and consideration. We encourage positive interactions and teach students the value of resolving conflicts peacefully.

‘You must have fun.’

We believe that a child’s time with us should be enjoyable and engaging. At Wells Park School, we strive to create an atmosphere where children feel motivated, inspired, and excited. With an emphasis on experience, we aim to ensure that our students find joy and fulfilment in their learning experiences.

‘We look after our school.’

We instil a sense of pride, responsibility, and stewardship in our pupils for their school environment. Teaching children to care for their surroundings fosters a caring attitude, a sense that they are valued and encourages responsible behaviour. We encourage students to take ownership of their school and contribute to its upkeep.

At Wells Park, we prioritise recognising and rewarding the good in our pupils. By providing attention, praise, appreciation, or indeed, constructive criticism, we create a supportive learning environment that celebrates their inherent worth. As Eric Berne noted, "A positive stroke is a unit of recognition," and our positive reinforcement acts as those affirming strokes, nurturing the students' self-esteem and motivation.

Immediate rewards play a pivotal role in our approach, as emphasised by Bruce Perry, who states, "By providing immediate feedback and reinforcement for positive behaviours, we create a brain state that is conducive to learning and the development of healthy patterns." Through immediate recognition and rewards for displaying appropriate behaviour, we strengthen the connection between actions and the acknowledgement they receive, motivating and reinforcing a desired behaviour.

Processes enable opportunities for adults to reflect and come alongside our young pupils. These moments are known within Social Pedagogy as ‘encounters’. Encounters are genuine interactions within a journey that are learning opportunities for individuals involved.

We embrace the concept of continuous behaviour change at Wells Park. By providing opportunities for self-reflection and adjustment, we support students in their ongoing personal growth and development. This aligns with Eric Berne’s view that "change occurs when one becomes what they are, not when they try to become what they are not." Our system fosters an environment where students can authentically grow and align their actions with positive social behaviours.

Active participation is crucial in the Wells Park Token System. We empower students to actively engage in their own behavioural development, promoting ownership, self-reflection, and responsible decision-making. This aligns with the principles of Transactional Analysis, where individuals taking an active role in their growth and transformation is essential. By fostering their active participation, we support their personal growth and development. Hart’s Ladder of Participation highlights the transitions that pupils will undertake in ‘buy in’ to the system once engagement is achieved. This then enables different levels of active decision-making and control. The Token Economy system, when implemented effectively, enables a pupil to move through the different stages into citizenship from the initial stage of ‘manipulation’.

• We establish consistent and fair routines in our classrooms, from the initial meet and greet to engaging challenge activities at the end of each lesson. Our class displays effectively support and celebrate the learning of our students.
• The relationships between staff and pupils reflect our care and commitment to support the progress and achievement of every child in our school community.

• Our teaching staff demonstrates a passion for knowledge, enthusiasm, and understanding in the subjects they teach. We fully embed oracy within our lessons and deliver instruction in a thematic, cross-curricular style. Skills and knowledge are developed through engaging 'missions.'
• We take the time to get to know each child individually, fostering strong relationships based on trust and respect. Staff understand the unique needs of our pupils, and this understanding is reflected in Individual Learning Plans (ILPs).
• We prioritise the duty of care towards our pupils and demonstrate this through our practice, procedures, and unwavering commitment to the school community.
• We provide concise and effective feedback to students (in purple pen) so that they understand how to improve. Students are regularly given the opportunity to act on verbal and written feedback (in green pen) during dedicated improvement and reflection time, thereby closing the learning loop.

• We plan engaging 'missions' that are tailored to meet the needs of our students and align with the National Curriculum. Our lessons are delivered with a sense of challenge, pace, and purpose. Students are given adequate time to internalise knowledge, understanding, and skills throughout the lesson.
• In every lesson, we share clearly defined learning objectives with our students. We empower them to understand, articulate, and apply their learning. We provide opportunities to develop skills, understanding, and key knowledge.
• We set high expectations for our students regarding the presentation of their work and their personal conduct. We consistently encourage our pupils to strive for their best and become the best version of themselves.
• Our teaching staff break down and model learning using examples of work, demonstrations, deconstruction, and discussions. Students develop a deeper understanding of key concepts and make consistent progress over time.

• We plan differentiated tasks that are appropriate and stimulating to ensure that all students are stretched, challenged, and supported according to their abilities.
• Students are given opportunities to discuss their learning and celebrate their achievements, as well as the accomplishments of their peers.
• We use planned, highly effective, and targeted questioning techniques to engage, deepen students' learning, draw upon their prior knowledge, and assess their understanding. Additionally, we also employ a variety of techniques designed to actively assess learning (AFL).
• We create a positive atmosphere in every lesson by teaching with passion and care. Students are rewarded in accordance with our behaviour management policy (see Token Economy), and we actively praise and celebrate their successes. We emphasise active listening and encourage students to express their thoughts with respect.