School In Focus: Hill West, Four Oaks
The staff, parents and children at Hill West Primary School in Four Oaks have been celebrating their pupils' achievements.
In their end of KS2 Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) the school witnessed their best ever results which placed them as the third best school in Birmingham as identified in this years league tables. Beth Clarke (Head Teacher) said "the hard work of all of the staff and governors in recent years has paid dividends and children are not only fulfilling their true potential but in some circumstances surpassing it". She is confident that with the hard work and dedication of her staff, similar results can be replicated in the future.
As well as celebrating academic achievements this year, Hill West has also placed a great deal of emphasis on attitudes and behaviour. Hill West has recently been awarded the Impetus Award for their project entitled 'Citizens of the Future'. Fiona Marsh, Deputy Head Teacher, explains the project in more detail and outlines the achievements of the pupils.
As a school we credit ourselves on our inclusive culture which celebrates diversity and individualism. When we heard about the Impetus Award we realised that it fitted in perfectly with the work that we were undertaking around values. Having thought about a curriculum of the future at Hill West and what that may look like, we decided as a staff that the starting point had to be the core values that underpin everything that we do within our community.
A teacher training day brought together all those involved with the school together to discuss what we felt were the core values that should underpin all of our teaching and learning.
Together we came up with 14.
- Honesty
- Politeness
- Thoughtfulness
- Co-operation
- Tolerance
- Respect
- Motivation
- Commitment
- Determination
- Loyalty
- Confidence
- Humour
- Humility
- Empathy
The children then set about creating a permanent display within the school. The canvases now decorate our KS2 hall and have made such an impact that we are continuing to make more in order to display them in our KS1 hall. We believe that the identification of a set of core values that underpin everything that we do here at school will prepare children to be moral, upstanding citizens of the future.
Hill West is very fortunate to benefit from extensive grounds and playing fields. This affords the children the opportunity to learn both inside and outside of the classroom. When Ofsted described the school as a happy place where pupils enjoy a rich and varied
curriculum, supported by many out of school activities. Small class sizes mean that children receive individualised learning and excellent adult/child ratios. The school prides itself on the attitudes and behaviour of the children it cares for as well as their academic achievements. Hill West extends a very warm welcome to all new arrivals. For further details please contact Mrs Balla (Admissions Officer) on 0121 308 5392.
