Last month I wrote about Churchill’s new values of kindness, curiosity and determination. These values underpin our vision: to set no limits on what we can achieve. Our intention is to unleash that unknown potential that sits within each and every one of our students. We try to ensure that there is always a next step, always an extra challenge, always that encouragement to push yourself further. But we also take time to build confidence, because often the biggest barrier to students’ achievement is not the grown-ups around them telling them they can’t but that nagging voice inside their own mind which says “I can’t do it.” Or “I’ll never be as good as them.” Or “it’s too difficult.” Our whole ethos and approach here at Churchill is to equip students with an inner voice to talk back to themselves, so “I can’t do it” becomes “I can’t do it…yet.” “I’ll never be as good as them,” becomes “I’m going to learn how they do it so I can do it too.” And “it’s too hard” becomes “this is going to take time and effort, but I’m going to learn how.”

This approach underpins our guiding purpose, to inspire and enable young people to make a positive difference both whilst they are here at the Academy but, perhaps more importantly, after they leave us. An education at Churchill Academy & Sixth Form provides young people with the knowledge, skills, character and confidence to make their own positive contribution. If we do our job right, the world our children will build will be better than the one we live in now.

The vision and purpose lead us to our end result. We have the highest expectations of achievement and progress within the curriculum, because achieving the best possible qualifications brings with it the benefit of choice. But achievement is more than that – it’s about young people finding their identity, their voice, and the self-confidence and determination to take the next step and make their mark.

These principles, underpinned by our values, guide our work at Churchill. We thank all our staff, students and families for supporting us in working towards these ambitious goals.