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Ethos & Aims

Our Mission

Children, their happiness, well-being and high achievement are the heartbeat of our school.

Vision

We aim to provide a school of high educational standards which enables children to reach their potential and be the best that they can be.

We aim to be an inclusive school where all parents, whatever their circumstances and needs, feel able to entrust their children to us, confident that we will support and guide them to achieve their very best educationally, socially and physically in an environment that puts children’s needs at the top of the agenda.

We aim to develop children who are curious and caring about the world around them, who are adaptable to change and have confidence to face challenges. We want our pupils to be inspired to be courteous and tolerant in their relationships with each other and with the adults they meet.

We aim to give our children opportunities to participate in a variety of activities in St Albans, so that they can work as part of a team, be proud of their own achievements and truly feel part of the St Albans community.

Ethos

We believe that children are at the heart of any great school. Their happiness and well-being is the key to their future success and will be embedded in a community that gives all children a sense of belonging and worth.

We are a school that recognises that a child learns to value others by being valued by him or herself, regardless of race, gender, disability, creed or culture.

We promote a sense of belonging in our children and their families, work in partnership with parents and cultivate a positive and enthusiastic attitude to learning.

We want our children to have sound social skills, personal qualities of honesty, kindness and self discipline.

We are a truly reflective school, responding to the diverse needs of our children and community, never compromising on giving our children the best possible experiences in their continuing education, so that they can leave us with a strong sense of self-worth, pride in their abilities, articulate and educationally well prepared to be successful in their future lives.

Aims and Objectives

  • be recognised as an outstanding school that provides high quality education
  • enable children, whatever their circumstances and needs, to make rapid progress and achieve the highest standards of which they are capable during their time with us
  • enable children to be responsible for their own learning and ensure that there is a positive learning focus, where learning is valued and success is celebrated by all within the school
  • ensure that our children feel safe and trusted
  • develop children’s sense of responsibility, community and an appreciation of cultural and individual differences
  • operate an “Open door policy” for all parents
  • offer high quality wrap around care and holiday clubs which provide exciting and healthy activities for children

We will achieve our aims by:

  • creating a dynamic learning environment in which children are enabled to attain the highest standards of which they are capable
  • employing excellent, fully qualified staff to lead the learning
  • educating our children to move on to secondary school with the highest possible standards of literacy and numeracy
  • ensuring our children are able to articulate their views and feelings with clarity and confidence
  • giving children the expertise to reflect and assess their own learning, the ability to suggest what they need to do to improve and to value their own achievements
  • recognising individual needs and providing tailored support to ensure that every child reaches their potential
  • offering equal opportunities to all, both in school and in the wider community
  • setting up a pupil voice where all children will have an equal say in suggesting improvements to the learning and environment
  • by giving every child the opportunity to learn a musical instrument and make music with others
  • by giving all children the opportunity to participate in creative and extra-curricular activities

 

Sustainability

At Alban City School we take our responsibility for the environment very seriously. We aim to secure the long term environmental sustainability of the school and help to address the climate crisis. In 2023 we were awarded the Green Flag Award with Distinction in recognition of the work we have done so far. We have Green Procurement Policy to ensure that when all products and services are purchased, we consider the environmental aspects and actively encourage the whole school community to take responsibility for the world in which we live. As a school we aim to be resource efficient, climate friendly and socially responsible to reduce our carbon footprint. The policy can be read in full on our policies page.

All the energy we procure from the National Grid  is through a Green energy provider. To reduce our energy consumption, all the lights in the school are LED. The roof was replaced across the entire school building in 2023 and the insulation was upgraded as part of this project. In January 2024 a solar panel array was installed on our roof. Information about the energy we are producing and consuming can be seen here: https://monitoringpublic.solaredge.com/solaredge-web/p/kiosk?guid=3e1dd79a-3d00-44e9-a45a-0414ebe445d4

In 2020 we created a grove through the Trees for Life scheme where members of the school community can make donations that result in the planting of trees in the Caledonian Forest.  In doing so we aim to offset the school’s gas consumption with a target of having a carbon negative impact on the environment, as well as contributing to the rewilding of the area which provides a habitat for native wildlife. So far we have planted 271 trees in our grove. More information can be found here: https://treesforlife.org.uk/groves/193000/

Each class elects a representative for our Eco School committee and the pupils meet regularly to discuss initiatives and discuss their action plan to work towards achieving Green Flag re-accreditation. Each year we participate in the Sustainable St Albans week. More information about the Eco Committee and their work can be found on our blogs page.

You will find a copy of our Green Procurement Policy on our Policies Page.