Mission and Values
At Harris Academy Ockendon, we are determined to meet the need for truly excellent secondary education which develops and challenges every student.
We want our students to develop into well-educated and well-rounded individuals, ready to take on the world once they leave this academy. Over the course of their education, we support them as they develop the skills, confidence and motivation they will need to thrive as adults, to ensure they understand their place in society, both locally and globally and seek to make a positive impact upon it.
Our motto and mission ‘Enjoy being the best you can be’ succinctly captures our sense of optimism, ambition for academic excellence and our determination to create an environment where students develop their interests and nurture their talents in all areas. Our ethos embraces feelings of trust, knowledge, reciprocity and shared behavioural norms that create a quality of life for staff and students that will be both enjoyable and productive. Our connection with each other promotes friendships, creates special moments, experiences and outstanding memories. Harris Academy Ockendon is a place where people return with great eagerness, into an atmosphere of acceptance and belonging.
Our academy values are the hallmarks of all successful people and are succinctly captured in the symbolism of our logo, ‘The little bird of Joy’, the hummingbird. These values permeate all aspects of academy life.
The Academy Values: Work Hard, Be Kind, Take Responsibility
We encourage our students to be purposeful in their ambition for their futures, teaching them to walk tall and dream big, enabling them to be more successful than they ever thought possible.
We focus on being disciplined, leading ourselves skilfully, working hard and smart to make swift but thoughtful decisions which are put in place for our students with total conviction for maximum impact.
Our students are encouraged to work hard, be kind, and take responsibility so they are ready for the challenges life may bring their way, and ultimately to live well.
We urge our students to be honest in their appraisal of their efforts, attitude and performance. Helping them to understand they are responsible for their own actions and emotions and to manage them effectively. When there is a mistake or setback students will have the skills and resilience to look for ways to improve, learning from it and moving on.
These values are the bedrock of our academy and are embedded through our Academy House System.
As experienced leaders and teachers using research and cutting-edge pedagogical practice as a cornerstone of quality, our aim is to provide a purposeful and exciting educational experience. With excellent teaching, we inspire the best in each student, whether they need to be stretched, are struggling, or are somewhere in the middle. Where students need extra help on a particular topic or skill, we coach them in small groups. Special educational needs are catered for with care and expertise.
In our academy, learning does not begin and end at the classroom door. Our students regularly participate in after-school enrichment classes, activity days and educational visits, including inter-academy opportunities within the Federation, which help to bring learning alive.
We have high expectations of the way in which our students should behave. We are consistent in our approach to encouraging great behaviour and, as a result, we have established a culture which is friendly, orderly and respectful.
