What does 'School Ethos' mean to you?

[TeenTimesTwo]

With the secondary school open evenings happening I find I keep posting on threads about picking schools based on 'school ethos'.

So then I got to thinking, what do I include in that?

This is my list so far:

• behaviour & uniform policies - strict / relaxed. Detentions given out for minor infringements, or rules a bit ignored by teachers and pupils, or somewhere in between.

• homework - how much is set, and what type. what happens if it isn't done well or not done at all

• who/what is valued - who gets the plaudits and the praise. The sporty people, the academics, the art/music/drama? What about the hard working but not very clevers, or the pupils with home life difficulties? Are they noticed and helped to feel special/important too?

• approachability / community / inclusivity - can parents contact teachers if needed? Can a pupil get help if they don't understand homework? Are older pupils friendly to younger ones and some interaction encouraged or do year groups stay apart? How are pupils with e.g. ASD helped to mix with their peers.

I think a lot of parents seem to underestimate School Ethos when picking schools. But I think it can make a big difference to whether a child/parent are happy with a school when they actually get there.

What do you think?

I think school ethos isn’t just about the curriculum, it’s about the values of the school. This obviously comes across clearly in religious schools, but is also needed in secular schools. Are the kids encouraged to think about others, actively raise money for charity, contribute to the community. Are they encouraged to aim high - university, sporting excellence, extra curricular etc and how is this woven into the fabric of the school?
Is it all about the academic? How do they run sports day, do they have an activity week, are there lots of trips and clubs.

Are the kids proud of their school?

I guess it all depends on whether its just words or whether it actually translates into action.

DD's school has a whole big thing with Leadership and I assumed that it was going to be all guff, to be honest. But it's really big in Year 7, girls are kept very busy doing activities and indoctrinated into the mindset! And it works - it means any girl can achieve no matter what her academic abilities and it seems to make them bond together.

So I guess people have to think about the school's claimed ethos and see if they can dig around for what it means in practice. Although you'll never really know until they're in the school.

OP, you have it spot on! I am a governor and on my school's Ethos Committee. Ethos covers pretty well everything that is not to do with exams, curriculum or finances.

I think the ethos of the school you choose doesn't really matter. It only takes a new headteacher and the school can change pretty quickly. The nearest high school to me has gone from being fairly relaxed to rigid school rules and a new, expensive, very well enforced uniform. For the parents of children in year 9 and above, it is essentially a different school than the one they chose.