Personal Development

Our culture is all about making sure all students develop personally as well as academically.

We want everyone to feel valued, supported  and empowered to develop personally as well as academically.

Ready, Safe, Respectful - The HGA Way

We know that at the heart of our behaviour expectations are three concepts that must be embedded at all levels for learning to be able to take place. Our mantra, and all of our behaviour conversations with the students, focus on these three key principles:   

Ready – Students are ready for learning by having good attendance, in full school uniform, determined to do their best and focused to always strive for their full potential.  

Respectful – That respect goes both ways with all our students following the instructions of their adults, listening carefully to those in their classroom, speaking respectfully to peers and adults while showing good manners and kindness to those in our school community. This also means being respectful of our school, keeping it both tidy and clean.  

Safe – We all deserve to feel safe at school. Not only by keeping our hands and feet and unkind words to ourselves but also feeling safe to be ourselves promoting equality and friendship.   

Hub Points - building team spirit

All staff and students are included in our Hub System to help build team spirit and add a competitive nature to the students across year groups and classes. Through the in-class behaviour system, students can be awarded Hub Points for meeting our Ready, Respectful, Safe values. They can also be awarded Hub Points by members of SLT as well as for attendance and for being a Star of the Week.  

Hub Points are celebrated weekly during Celebration Assemblies and through corridor displays to keep students aware of how their hub is performing. Each hub also has a ‘Head of Hub’ who runs events and co-ordinates the hub. Students work towards receiving extra playtime as a collaborative reward. They also accumulate Hub Points on an individual basis and these lead to being entered into a raffle to win a prize each term.  

Attendance Awards 

To celebrate those students who are able to keep 100% attendance, students are able to work towards the following awards: 

• Bronze: HGA Shield – 1 Term of 100% Attendance 
• Silver: HGA Shield – 2 Terms of 100% Attendance 
• Gold: HGA Shield – 3 Terms of 100% Attendance 

These can then be worn for the next term to celebrate this success and are handed out during Celebration Assemblies.   

Stars of the Week  

In Reception, certificates are awarded to Reader, Independent Learner and Mark Maker of the Week in class. These certificates are taken home with the child. 

In KS1 and KS2 during Celebration Assemblies, the time is given for teachers to select and celebrate the behaviour, work or accomplishments of one student in their class. These students receive a hand-written certificate from the leader of the Celebration Assembly and 5 Hub Points. These certificates are taken home with the student.

International School Award - bringing the world into the classroom

Harris Garrard has been awarded Intermediate Level of the British Council’s prestigious International School Award in recognition of its work to bring the world into the classroom.

The International School Award celebrates the achievements of schools that do exceptional work in international education.  At Harris Garrad we believe international work is key support for developing skills young people need to be globally aware citizens of the future. We are continuing our journey to achieve this important award with the support of our partner school, Colegio San Jorge in Santiago de Compostela, Spain.