Everything in our school is about purpose and that is underpinned by our three values:

Integrity

We are honest to our work, ourselves and others. We always do the right thing because simply because it is the right thing to do - not for reward or to avoid sanction.

Excellence

We have the highest expectations of ourselves and each other. We are happy to get feedback and learn to be better. We are proud of our identity and to be ambassadors of our community.

Service

We believe that to lead is to serve and service brings joy. We promote kindness and grace in every interaction - inside and outside of school. We give back to our community to make our education valuable.

In Pursuit of Excellence

At PA High, our philosophy towards children is to equip them with a strong sense of purpose and the understanding that they can both benefit from and contribute to society. We aim to cultivate responsible, articulate, and successful individuals who are aware of their rights and responsibilities as British citizens. Our students will be empowered to improve their neighborhoods and communities, developing emotional intelligence and decision-making skills while also gaining a global perspective on important issues. We strive to provide our students with the knowledge and confidence to choose their own pathways, all while instilling values of excellence, integrity, and service that will guide them for life. Our goal is for students to be happy, express their true selves confidently, and communicate their thoughts and opinions with clarity in any context they are in.

Deliberative language and choice

We pay close attention to words. We use language that is relentlessly positive and unambiguous

Routines are codified

Our routines are the backbone of our culture. They provide an effectiveness, consistency and clarity that empowers staff and students.

Behaviour is separate from the individual

We believe that behaviour is a choice which can be improved, rather than based on an innate personality trait. We model better choices through our value of excellence.

We collaborate on everything

We enter the building in service of each other. We speak to each other with respect and unequivocally support the development of all.

We remain close to the work

Our staff, including senior leaders, are visible and present. They exemplify and model our expectations of excellence in every interaction.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY

We are committed to Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks,including an enhanced DBS check. Candidates should be aware that all posts in Prince Albert Community Trust involve some degree of responsibility for safeguarding children and young people, although the extent of that responsibility will vary depending on the nature of the post. Please see the job description enclosed in this Application Pack for further details. Accordingly, this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as “spent” must be declared. If you are currently working with children, on either a paid or voluntary basis, your current employer will be asked about disciplinary offence, including those related to children or young people (whether disciplinary sanction is current or time-expired), and whether you have been the subject of any child protection allegations or concerns and if so the outcome of any investigation or disciplinary proceedings. If you are not currently working with children, but have done in the past, that previous employer will be asked about these issues. Where neither your current or previous employment has involved working with children, your current employer will be asked about your suitability to work with children, although it may be answered not applicable where it is appropriate; if your duties have not brought you into contact with children or young people for instance. The Trust’s Child Safeguarding Policy applies to all adults, including volunteers, working in or on behalf of the Trust. Everyone in the education service shares an objective to help keep children and young people safe by contributing to: Providing a safe environment for children and young people to learn in education settings; and Identifying children and young people who are suffering or likely to suffer significant harm, and taking appropriate action with the aim of making sure they are kept safe both at home and in the education setting’.

The Trust pays full regard to ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ guidance 2023. We ensure that all appropriate measures are applied in relation to everyone who works for the Trust who is likely to be perceived by the children as a safe and trustworthy adult including e.g. volunteers and staff employed by contractors. Safer recruitment practice includes scrutinising applicants, verifying identity and academic or vocational qualifications, obtaining professional and character references, checking previous employment history, social media, and ensuring that a candidate has the health and physical capacity for the job. It also includes undertaking interviews and an Enhanced DBS check.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and to undergo appropriate checks, including an enhanced DBS check. Candidates should be aware that all posts in Prince Albert Community Trust involve some degree of responsibility for safeguarding children and young people, although the extent of that responsibility will vary depending on the nature of the post. Please see the job description enclosed in this Application Pack for further details. Accordingly, this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as “spent” must be declared. If you are currently working with children, on either a paid or voluntary basis, your current employer will be asked about disciplinary offence, including those related to children or young people (whether disciplinary sanction is current or time-expired), and whether you have been the subject of any child protection allegations or concerns and if so the outcome of any investigation or disciplinary proceedings. If you are not currently working with children, but have done in the past, that previous employer will be asked about these issues. Where neither your current or previous employment has involved working with children, your current employer will be asked about your suitability to work with children, although it may be answered not applicable where it is appropriate; if your duties have not brought you into contact with children or young people for instance.