Dear Parent/Carer
Our value for this week is Integrity. In general, ‘integrity’ is used to describe a person’s commitment to honesty and willingness to do what is right. A person with integrity is trustworthy, fair, respectful and responsible.
For a school to have a true culture of integrity, it means that everyone in the building, takes their commitments seriously, are proactive when they don’t understand their responsibilities or what is being asked of them and ultimately are accountable for their behaviours and their outcomes.
It certainly isn’t a value that is achieved easily. It demands hard work effort and commitment. It means owning up to your mistakes, being honest when something is challenging and doing the right thing (even when nobody’s watching!). I have made a concerted effort to look around me this week for some examples of integrity, that I would like to share with you.
- Y11 students almost without exception have managed themselves incredibly well during this period of Mock Exams. They have committed to being here (first and foremost) and being on time. They have achieved a collective 96% attendance, which is a tangible commitment to their personal responsibility for GCSE success. They want to do well and know that they must put in the effort to struggle, highlighting what they do and don’t know, so that they can ensure that they close any gaps in their knowledge, while there is still time.
- KS3 students opening and holding doors for staff and supporting them with carrying boxes of books and resources; sharing equipment with one another; listening respectfully to others in debate, sharing a joke and laughing together.
- Numerous student belongings lost and found – handed in by members of the school community and returned to their owners, who worried that they would never find them.
- Mediation between two individuals, who were able to hear another’s perspective/point of view and reach a just and fair conclusion based on understanding one-another’s feelings.
- Little Random Acts of Kindness between staff and students which make people smile, feel appreciative and take a moment to stop to reflect on the positive impact that they have on the lives of others.
All of these examples are things that happen every day, which often go unacknowledged or unrecognised. That is because integrity is not loud. It is not obvious; it is not flamboyant. It is quiet. It is honourable and it is principled. The power of our integrity is found in the positive choices we make and the strength of character we display in our community. Values are central to our identity. They define what is important about how we live, work and share experiences with one another, like yesterday’s Community Iftar at sunset.
Our grateful thanks, to everyone who attended, contributed, supported, shared, donated and celebrated with us (and those who tidied up afterwards!). It was an immensely moving occasion, which we hope will become an embedded part of Erdington Academy tradition.
Yours faithfully
Mrs K Wright
Vice Principal
