‘Reach for the Stars’

Vision:

At Howe Dell, we aspire to create a cohesive community of life-long learners, who are equipped with skills and knowledge to positively impact the world.

Values and aims:

Through our bespoke and ambitious curriculum, we embed our values: kindness, growth and respect. 

Kindness is the foundation of all our interactions and is modelled throughout our community.

Growth is fostered within our therapeutic ethos. Through personal development we grow resilient, curious learners both in the classroom and the wider world.

Respect is fundamental to us all. We value differences, celebrate diversity, and promote inclusivity, creating a safe and supportive community where everyone is welcome.

Values-based learning

Howe Dell School is a microcosm of the world. Values-based learning is an approach that nourishes, and enables learners to flourish, making a difference to the world through who and how they are.

When we actively engage with values, we start to understand their implications for making choices about our attitudes and responses.

A values-based approach encourages reflective and aspirational attributes and attitudes. These can be nurtured to help people discover the very best of themselves, which enables them to be good citizens and prepare them for the life of work.

It provides them with the self-esteem and confidence to explore and develop their full potential. It leaves no learner behind, irrespective of their background.

  

No Outsiders

We are proud to say we are a 'No Outsiders' school. At Howe Dell, we celebrate diversity and are committed to the principles of inclusion and equality. No Outsiders is part of our ethos and curriculum. It is taught through a series of picture books addressing the different areas of the Equality Act. Learning is reinforced through our values assemblies, where we use pictures and photographs as a stimulus. The stories and pictures we share prompt discussion around key issues and through a shared dialogue and language, we promote equality and challenge discrimination. We know that at Howe Dell we are all different but everyone is welcome. 

How does no outsiders fit into the curriculum?

The No Outsiders lessons fit alongside many of the things we already teach in school. They align with our core values of kindness, growth and respect. They also link strongly with our relationships education lessons which are part of our Jigsaw lessons and Monday values assemblies.

No Outsiders book list

Below you can see a range of the texts the we use in our No Outsiders lessons and the focus of each one. 

We will work alongside our families, parents and carers to deliver this message of inclusivity. You are welcome to call in to see your child's class teacher to discuss this approach and view the picture books we use for this. 

Assemblies at Howe Dell

At Howe Dell our assemblies are linked to the 'value of the month' which in turn links to the half termly PSHE JIGSAW puzzle piece.  Music plays an important part of our assemblies and we follow a termly plan where music is listened to over a period of a fortnight to enable us to familiarise ourselves with the key musical elements and to hone our listening and appraising skills.

We have weekly singing assemblies and on a Friday we hold our celebration assembly. On a monthly basis we celebrate 'Author of the month' and we welcome parents, carers and friends of Howe Dell to join us celebrate the hard work and achievements of our children. If you would like to join us, please contact the school office. 

Howe Dell Primary School is a large two-form entry school with a nursery that offers both 15 and 30 hours.

The school and Nursery provides a unique and caring environment where children are given the opportunity to develop as confident and independent learners who are valued.  We encourage children to give everything 'a go' to enable them to be the best that they can be!

Training Practitioners

At Howe Dell we support those who are studying. We host BEd and PGCE students from the University of Hertfordshire, for a variety of placements. We have also lectured at the University of Hertfordshire sharing valuable knowledge and deepening pedagogical understanding.