As Wandsworth continues to evolve in a rapidly changing capital, the role of core values within its schools becomes increasingly important. Differentiated and tailored core values serve as the bedrock – not just articulating the moral and academic expectations for everyone in the school community – they lay the foundation for nurturing well-rounded young minds that can navigate their world with integrity, empathy and purpose.
Values are invaluable
Has there ever been a time when clear, compassionate and courageous values have been more needed? With society facing huge challenges, we need to clearly communicate how we wish to live positively alongside each other in our communities.
Over the last 12 months Wandsworth council have been doing just that. More than 150 of our people have taken part in defining a new set of values that capture the spirit, energy and intent we need to drive forward our ambitions for our residents.
Our new borough values have been built to capture the best of how we work together and to inspire the change we need to create in our culture.
The five statements are clear, directional and demanding. They build on good governance and reliability, emphasising the need for all of us, whatever our role, to show leadership, to be confident, imaginative, caring and creative.
As an organisation which has come together to represent a broader part of London, our values reaffirm our commitment to embrace difference, to connect even more deeply and widely and to show compassion and empathy for the people we work with and the people we serve. They are so much more than words on a page.
The new values are:
- Think Bigger
- Embrace Difference
- Connect Better
- Lead by Example
- Put People First
In our annual Smart School Services report we will be discussing the important role values can play for your school, teachers, pupils, and the communities that you serve. From pupil numbers to staff retention, they can lead to transformative results and permeate through everything you do. We hope you find it of use on your values-based educational journey.
