Our Values & Ethos
Waterloo Primary Academy is more than just a school; it is a family where everyone belongs, everyone is known, everyone is valued and everyone is celebrated. It is a place where we learn, grow and flourish together.
As a school community, our mission is to ensure that every child who attends Waterloo feels safe, valued and supported, and is encouraged to achieve beyond what they believe is possible. We want our children to feel confident to be themselves, to take risks in their learning and to know that they are cared for every step of the way.
We value excellence in all that we do. Our children learn through a curriculum that challenges and inspires them, supported by a dedicated and caring staff team who are committed to helping every child achieve their very best.
When children leave our school, we want them to do so with a strong sense of belonging, a positive outlook and excitement about their future. They should be confident in their own abilities, full of aspiration, and unafraid to make mistakes and learn from them. We want our children to show kindness, make thoughtful choices, value the views of others and understand how to keep themselves healthy and safe.
Alongside academic success, we aim to support our children to thrive socially, emotionally and personally, so that they leave Waterloo well prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school. Our core values sit at the heart of everything we do and shape daily life across our school.
Our Core Values
At Waterloo Primary Academy, our core values sit at the heart of everything we do. They guide how we learn, how we behave and how we treat one another every day.
Our values underpin our behaviour policy, staff code of conduct and wider school policies, and they are an important part of daily life at Waterloo. They act as our moral compass and help shape the positive, caring culture across our school. Our values are shared regularly with the children and are displayed in every classroom and throughout the school.
Our core values are Pride, Endeavour, Equality and Respect, and we encourage all members of our school community to show these values through their actions.
Collective Worship at Waterloo Primary Academy
Collective worship is an important and valued part of life at Waterloo Primary Academy. It brings our school community together regularly and provides time for reflection, learning, celebration and shared experiences. Through collective worship, we strengthen our sense of belonging and reinforce the values that shape daily life at Waterloo.
Across the school year, collective worship has a broadly Christian character, but we also take time to explore other faiths, beliefs and festivals. This helps children to develop respect, understanding and curiosity about the diverse world in which they live.
Our collective worship programme is thoughtfully planned to support children’s personal development and wellbeing. British Values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are deliberately woven throughout, encouraging children to reflect, think carefully, understand different viewpoints and develop a strong sense of right and wrong. Music and singing also play an important role within collective worship, helping to build confidence, promote wellbeing and strengthen our sense of community.
At different points across the week, collective worship may focus on reinforcing our school values, celebrating achievements, exploring current events in an age-appropriate way, or providing opportunities for reflection and discussion. Children are encouraged to share their thoughts, listen to others and develop confidence in expressing their views respectfully.
As part of this, children also take part in Waterloo Way collective worship within their classes. These sessions focus on what it means to be part of the Waterloo family - how we treat one another, how we make good choices and how we show our values every day. These sessions form part of our behaviour curriculum and help children understand expectations in a positive and supportive way. They are often shaped by what staff notice across school, allowing us to respond to real situations and support children to reflect, learn and grow together.
Time is also set aside to recognise and celebrate children’s achievements, both academic and non-academic, ensuring effort, progress and positive attitudes are valued and shared.