School Improvement: 5 Ways to Embed School Values 

Before discussing the five ways of embedding school values, it’s worth taking a moment to think of why they are important in the first place, and how they relate to school improvement.

“Values should not just be words on paper, but the guiding principles of every action we take. Real values shape not only the education we provide but also the character we nurture in our pupils. Together, we can build a community where integrity, curiosity, and inclusivity thrive, preparing our pupils to become thoughtful, compassionate, and empowered citizens of the world.”

Lucy Coy, Co-Founder, HeadteacherChat

There are strong links between school ethos (the school values, culture and attitudes, beliefs within the school and classroom) and behaviour. The Scottish Government report wrote, “A positive school ethos and culture is essential to developing good relationships and positive behaviour in the classroom, playground and wider community.” Their analysis showed that “by far the strongest predictor of experiences of negative behaviours, for teachers and support staff in both sectors, was perceptions of school ethos: those who gave a poorer rating when asked to rate ‘the overall ethos of your school’ reported that they experienced negative behaviours more often. This demonstrates the strong link between perceptions of ethos and behaviour.”

Here are five ways that your school can ensure your values permeate the fabric of the school:

1. Strategic Commitment

• Senior lead: Embedding school values in a meaningful way requires strategic commitment. Whole school change and development needs to be driven from the top to permeate the whole organisation. For this purpose, a senior lead is required to take responsibility for ensuring that school values and the strengths needed to uphold these are fully embedded into the fabric of the school.
• Middle managers: Whilst the need for a dedicated senior lead is essential, that person will draw in the leadership of all the middle managers across both the pastoral and curriculum areas. All managers have a responsibility to lead on how the school values will be integrated into their areas of work.
• School Development Plan: The only way to provide long-term planning and school time for projects is by them being included and interwoven into the SDP. Both short-term and long-term goals need to be included. This might include how the values will be developed through character strength work on the inclusion of role models.

2. Pastoral Curriculum

The pastoral system wraps around the whole curriculum and ensures the wellbeing of the pupil so that they can achieve their potential. Here are 5 ways to consider explicitly bringing values into the pastoral curriculum.

• Assemblies provide a vital space to explore and understand the school’s values. In addition, it’s also important that assembly leads are seen to live those values themselves. Shouting at young people about their need to show empathy and kindness tends not to resonate.
• Form/non-teaching class time is also essential in bringing the language around values, strengths and ethos to the fore. Using role models is a great way to exemplify the areas you want to demonstrate. These can be people from history, in the public eye or everyday amazing examples from around the school. This blog discusses the need for role models further.
• Behaviour management system: is this congruent with the school’s values and beliefs? A strength-based approach to behaviour focuses on reflection and goal setting, rather than just punishing poor behaviour.
• Equivalent celebration to values being demonstrated: how are rewards and recognition given? Is there space for appreciation of character strength development and values in action? Are rewards and certificates for these given with equal status to academic or sporting achievements?
• Reports: do school reports communicate the pupils’ personal development and demonstration of school values? We report on what’s important – are your school values of such importance to be reported upon?

3. Curriculum

School curriculums are overcrowded places but there are two simple ways to embed values into every class.

• Spotting values: Teachers can look out for, recognise, and comment on values in action. Equally they can identify where positive character strengths have been used and demonstrated. Are character strengths woven into all your curriculums? Do staff understand how to explicitly teach character and recognise it when they see it in action?
• Role models: All subjects can look for opportunities to integrate stories of amazing people in their subject areas, focusing on the character strengths that led to their achievements and how this relates to the school values. Here’s one blog with examples of role models and the environment.

4. Additional Curriculum Commitments

There is a recognition that strength-based education (and, in particular, the use of stories of amazing people) can and should permeate all areas. It can make a valuable contribution to and through areas such as:

• PHSME: How far does your PSHMCE/Personal Development Plan incorporate your school values?
• Careers: Increasingly employers are asking less for specific qualifications and more for the right mindset. Are students clear about the soft skills that will be needed in every walk of life? Certainly, these soft skills are an area where all students can develop, and this is explored further here.
• Mental health and wellbeing: Do staff and students understand the links between the values and strengths extolled and their own mental health and wellbeing?
• English as an Additional Language: For EAL pupils, the focus on the language of character and values provides additional vocabulary focus. The Amazing People Schools stories are from around the world and include representatives of many different cultures and communities providing a rich panacea of role models.
• Leadership: Student leadership and school councils require pupils to use many character strengths to be effective. Indeed, these can be used to draw attention to ‘character in action’. Through this practice young people can begin to identity their own strengths and areas of development.

5. Training and Support for Staff

This brings us back to where we started with strategic commitment. With that commitment to a whole school vision for embedding values and character comes the need to upskill all staff. Therefore, ongoing training and support/coaching to put the training into action is needed. Are your staff trained and supported to incorporate your values into everything they do? Not as a rote-learning exercise but as a meaningful way to embed the language of character to enable young people to embed the school values and flourish.

Over time this sustained support helps all staff build their confidence and their daily practice.

How Amazing People Schools Can Help Your School?

If you would like to explore how Amazing People Schools can support your school please book a short Teams call with our Education Team Manager here. Selena can guide you through the process of how to use our learning platform and resources to meet the needs of your school.