Ethos

At Thames we have children firmly at the heart of all that we do.

Our academy is a place where children flourish and grow because they:

• have a strong sense of belonging
• feel safe and secure and are nurtured and supported
• follow our positive behaviour aspirations of being  ready, responsible and respectful
• are motivated and praised for both their effort and achievement 
• can make mistakes and see them as learning opportunities
• are challenged to work hard, be determined and have a positive attitude
• are motivated to be ambitious and to strive for personal excellence

Aims 

• We offer a curriculum which is broad in content, rich in possibilities, instils a love for learning and a strong grounding in mastering the basics for future success.
• We offer children high quality and inclusive teaching and learning by holding the highest expectations of all our pupils and knowing our children well.
• We promote an ethos of respect and empathy, where diversity is valued and celebrated – both within the school and in the wider world.
• We build strong relationships with children, parents and carers based on trust and mutual respect. 
• We celebrate perseverance, resilience and risk-taking, ensuring children welcome challenges and are not frightened to make mistakes.
• We strive for all children to leave Thames as independent learners with self-belief and an abiding respect for others. 
• We are driven to ensure our academy is a place where successful learners, responsible citizens and confident individuals are ready for their next step in education and their future lives. 

Values 

Our Thames PRIDE values seek to bring out the best in all members of our school community.

• Positivity  -We aim to be the best we can be and make a positive contribution to life at Thames.
• Respect -We treat others how we wish to be treated, showing respect for others and for ourselves.
• Integrity -We are honest and kind and can always be trusted to do the right thing.  
• Determination– We try new things, are resilient when we face challenges and we never give up. 
• Excellence -We strive for excellence in all we do.

“It’s who we are and it’s the way we do it here- 

We are proud to be a part of Thames Academy!”

Our Curriculum Drivers

Our curriculum drivers shape our curriculum breadth. They are derived from an exploration of the backgrounds of our children, our beliefs about high quality education and our values. They are used to ensure we give our children appropriate and ambitious curriculum opportunities. 

Cultural capital gives our children the powerful background knowledge required to be informed and thoughtful members of our community who understand and believe in British values. 

Curriculum breadth is shaped by our curriculum drivers, cultural capital, subject topics and our ambition for students to study the best of what has been thought and said by many generations of academics and scholars. 

Community 

We want our children to develop a sense of pride in themselves, who they are and where they come from. Our curriculum teaches them about the importance of membership of the community as an active and responsible citizen.

We connect what is being taught in school with our surrounding community including local people, institutions, history, literature, cultural heritage, technology and the natural environment, using this as a resource to support our curriculum. 

Communication

We want our children to be effective communicators who can speak with confidence in a variety of situations. The ways in which adults listen and talk to children is fundamental in supporting this. We will model language, support children in asking questions which facilitate thinking and learning, extend and expand on what children say and introduce them to and explain new vocabulary.

Through the precise planning of both subject and context specific vocabulary, children will be exposed to a wealth of everyday and academic vocabulary which they will be encouraged to apply to a range of contexts. 

Possibilities 

Children cannot aspire to something they have not encountered or know little about.  Therefore our curriculum offer is rich in breadth, experience and opportunity which supports their knowledge of the world around them.  We aim to make connections with the world of work to offer our children insight and inspiration for their futures. Our children will make the connection between what they are learning in school and the possibilities this will open for them in later life. 

Healthy Advocates

It is important to us that all members of our school community understand how to stay safe and keep healthy both physically and mentally.

The personal and academic curriculums offer children the opportunity to explore and understand healthy eating, the benefits of exercise and sleep, dental and personal hygiene, awareness of substance misuse, personal safety, growth mindset, mindfulness and mental toughness.