Vision, Values and Ethos

VISION VALUES AND ETHOS

Our Identity, Ethos and Context

Bursted Wood Primary School is a vibrant primary school located in beautiful woodland surroundings, within close proximity to Bexleyheath. With maximum full roll of 630 pupils, we are annually oversubscribed but, although we are a large school, we pride ourselves on having an equally large heart, with children at the centre.  
 
We place the highest importance on ensuring every single pupil within our diverse learner population at Bursted Wood is treasured, safe, seen, well supported and challenged. This conscious decision-making within our identity as a school has been recognized, again, with our re-accreditation as an IQM Flagship School, one of only around 100 in the country.
 
We are exceptionally proud of our curriculum offer, which we have built and refined ourselves over time to reflect our aspirations for Bursted Wood pupils. With the National Curriculum at its core, our broad, balanced and well sequenced curriculum is engaging, exciting, relevant and meaningful for our learners in our setting in our times. Our research-based approach to curriculum development reflects our commitment to nurturing achievement, progress, growth, curiosity, and community spirit in every child. More about this journey can be found on our Curriculum Overview pages.
 
It would be easy to think that achieving high standards at Bursted Wood is a foregone conclusion, given our setting, our situation in an area of low deprivation, and our below average percentage of pupils receiving free school meals. Data, taken at face value, including reportable outcomes at KS2, attendance and level of funded SEN would suggest we may be at risk of coasting towards the continued above average published results. Nothing could be further from leaders’ aspiration for each and every child, and our collective responsibility to achieve the best for every member of the community.  
 
We work with relentless drive to make this a reality, with exceptionally high standards of ourselves and the rightful recognition of the responsibility we have; the primary school journey for every child is foundational, crucial, memorable, and special. We only have one chance to get this right for the children and families who choose Bursted Wood as their primary school.

Our track record and ongoing aim is to promote learning that meets the needs, interests and abilities of all children. We have maintained results significantly above the national expectation at the end of Reception and Key Stage 2 for a number of years.

We offer excellent standards of care, guidance and support and a high-quality learning environment to support all learners equally. We have high expectations of all and provide children with suitably challenging learning opportunities where they can acquire the necessary skills, knowledge and confidence to be successful in the next stage of their learning. We value experiences that enable our children to improve their resilience, perseverance and independence as learners and encourage, even our youngest children, to take risks and to be proud of their efforts.

To benefit from the Bursted Wood offer, children need to be in school. We have high expectations with regards to attendance and we rigorously monitor pupil absence, and promote good attendance through assemblies, first day absence calls and working with the parents and our relationship with the Educational Welfare Office, London Borough of Bexley. 

We place great emphasis on personal development and the pursuit of wide talents and skills which follow children into adulthood. This includes academic development and skills for learning, but also creative, sporting, artistic talents and more. Our values promote a full range of skill sets which will allow children to emerge for their next stage of learning as rounded, capable, confident and adaptive young people, excited about education and the world around them and with bright prospects for the future. With this in mind, pupils are offered a wide range of extra-curricular activities to widen their interests and try new experiences. We take pupil voice on what they would like us to offer, and track their enthusiastic engagement in all the diverse sporting, artistic and cultural activities that we offer. 

Bursted Wood Primary School is a safe, happy place to learn, live and grow for all members of our community. It is a place where every child is valued, challenged, and supported to become a confident, compassionate, and capable individual ready to contribute positively to society. Our ethos and values are the heartbeat of our school, guiding all we do to ensure that every learner thrives both now and in the future.