Our school ethos and values
Dear Parents and Students,
When you visit Thamesmead you can see for yourself why our students are so successful.
Our vision for Thamesmead is to be a school that is committed to excellence, nurtures individuals, fulfills potential and respects our community.
The broad curriculum covered at Thamesmead ensures that every student has the opportunity to achieve their very best. Standards of achievement are high, particularly in English, science and the performing arts.
Parents and students love the calm and friendly atmosphere and our purposeful classrooms. Our staff work with dedication, building strong relationships that help each child achieve their very best. Students grasp with both hands the huge variety of extra-curricular opportunities available to them, particularly in sports and the performing arts.
The result is happy, successful students. Students who are cooperative and respectful ambassadors for their school. Students who tell us they are proud to be part of the community at Thamesmead.
We hope that you will choose to entrust your child to Thamesmead School and we look forward to working together with you to ensure your child’s time at Thamesmead is exciting, fulfilling and happy.
I look forward to working with you.
Phil Reeves
Headteacher
About The School
Thamesmead school is a co-educational 11-16 comprehensive in the village of Shepperton, Surrey. Our vision for Thamesmead is to be a school that is committed to excellence, nurtures individuals, fulfils potential and respects our community. It is to provide the best possible standard of teaching and learning so that our students have the necessary qualifications and personal and social skills to be successful in whatever future path they choose.
Every member of our community appreciates the high standards that we expect from each other, regardless of whether it is the way we behave, dress or approach our work; we all understand the importance of recognising and celebrating the enormous and diverse range of achievements that occur as a result.
The four cornerstones of our Thamesmead Vision are
Committed to excellence * Nurturing Individuals * Respecting our Community * Fulfilling Potential
Thamesmead Values are
Resilience, Commitment, Aspiration, Independence, Respect, Community Focus, Confidence
Promoting British Values
At Thamesmead we recognise our important role in promoting the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and showing respect and tolerance for those with different faiths and beliefs. We do this in a wide range of ways including through our academic and pastoral teaching and the extra-curricular programme that we offer to our students. Below are just a few specific examples of this.
Democracy
The principles and practices of a democratic political system are taught in History and Citizenship. Our students are also able to experience this first hand, for example, through the elections of House Captains which involves the whole school on an annual basis.
The rule of law
Curriculum areas such as History, Citizenship and Religious Studies all teach our students about the value and reasons for laws and the consequences when they are broken. This is reinforced through our assembly programme which may include guests such as local community police officers and the fire service. Our students are also made very aware of school and class rules and understand and experience rewards for supporting them and consequences for breaking them.
Individual liberty
Students in a number of subjects across the curriculum investigate the liberties that individuals enjoy in this country and compare and contrast this with the liberties of people in other countries and other periods of time. We have a very positive and safe school culture in which students are encouraged to appropriately express their views on a wide range of issues and to make informed choices when deciding their future educational and career pathways. We work hard to teach our students about their rights and personal freedoms as well as supporting them in recognising how to exercise these freedoms safely.
Mutual Respect
Mutual respect is at the heart of all we do in the school and of the behaviour that we expect from all the members of our school community. Students at Thamesmead are always able to voice their opinions and we have developed a culture where they feel safe to disagree with each other. Our inter-house competitions and extensive programme of competitive sports competitions promotes the concepts of ‘fair play’ and mutual respect.
Tolerance of different faiths and beliefs
Our Religious Studies programme teaches our students about different faiths and the beliefs of people from a wide range of backgrounds. This understanding is developed across the curriculum, through our House system, our Performing Arts Specialism, and a variety of trips abroad. Students are actively encouraged to share their own faith and beliefs within Thamesmead and show respect for the faith and belief of others.