Fleshing out our Mission Statement

PINELANDS NORTH PRIMARY SCHOOL

-provides a happy, healthy, homely, safe, yet challenging learning environment

- develops the whole child's full potential academically, culturally, socially, spiritually and physically, 

- builds a vibrant, reflective and committed staff team

- encourages committed parental support and involvement

- develops co-ownership and accountability among all stakeholders including the wider community and continually improves the range and quality of its academic and extramural activities.

It is said that an organisation should continually assess their mission and vision statement to ensure that it accurately continues to 'say who you are'. This mission statement was originally developed in about 2001, and bar a few very minor changes, has continued to reflect our school and it's ethos. 

So, herewith our thoughts on each part......

1. ‘provides a happy, healthy, homely, safe, yet challenging learning environment'

• devise and continually review our school safety plan
• remind all stakeholders of the Code of Conduct and Bullying Policy every year
• make the school homely by keeping animals, growing plants, playing music etc.
• train PNPS children in peer conflict resolution strategies
• encourage all pupils to achieve all that they can through the personal comments written on reports and the message presented at assemblies and other general school gatherings
• devise and implement HIV/AIDS policy, and support any families affected by HIV/AIDS
• remind children and parents about healthy eating at school and at home, in newsletters several times a year. 

2. ‘develops the whole child’s full potential academically, culturally, socially, spiritually and physically’

• hand out merit trophies to one pupil per class and one pupil in each specialist subject area, twice a term
• hand out merit badges to four pupils in each class every week in assembly
• give deserving music pupils merits too
• send Teacher Pleaser awards to parents from every class, once per term
• hold interclass competitions in various circumstances, to build class unity e.g. Easter egg collections
• encourage all pupils to extend themselves academically
• build community awareness among pupils and greater world by adopting charities or doing community work
• emphasise subjects which will improve life skills and provide hobbies or employment for the future eg entrepreneurship, computer skills, technology, woodwork, needlework and drama
• work proactively in school curriculum change
• provide access to learning support to all children within the school
• provide opportunities for inclusion in mainstream education to pupils with special needs
• teach Life Skills in our school curriculum but continue to promote the ethos of good living.

3. ‘builds a vibrant, reflective and committed staff team’

• promote extra curricular courses for all staff
• evaluate all staff every year and encourage the further development of strengths and improvement in weaker areas
• meet with new staff at least twice a term
• employ the best staff for the position, regardless of race, colour or creed, yet actively try to make the staff complement reflect that of the pupil body
• draw up a workplace skills plan and review it annually.

4. ‘encourages committed family support and involvement’

• continually encourage and praise participation in Red Connect meetings and other school activities
• keep parents informed of current and forthcoming events through weekly newsletters, School Communicator, website, twitter feeds and Facebook
• include personal parent/principal interviews in the enrolment process
• respond positively and attend to negative communication as soon as possible
• provide opportunities for ‘family learning’ in school homework tasks and holiday projects  
• encourage all parents to attend our annual School-in-Action Day, so that they see our school in action.

5. ‘develops co-ownership and accountability among all stakeholders including the wider community’

• set up varied parent forums as the need arises 
• use as many parents from our Parent Help file as possible
• include parents in class and school discipline procedures
• invite grandparents to a special day dedicated to them
• visit 'feeder' preschools and create opportunities for them to visit us
• initiate meetings of Pinelands’ principals and governing body chairmen to encourage greater co-operation and working together, to maintain the high standard of education in Pinelands.

6. ‘continually improves the range and quality of its academic and extramural activities'

• enrol pupils in national and international standardised tests
• promote PNPS to our 'feeder' preschools
• annually review academic and extramural focus and success
• actively include life enhancing skills/subjects in our curriculum eg drama for self confidence, life skills and HIV/AIDS education for personal growth and development.