ETHOS AND VALUES

Picture a school where positivity drives success.

Picture a school where there are no limits on what students aspire to BE.

Picture a school where students are provided with opportunities to excel and to BE the person who shapes their own future.

Our ethos at Debden Park High School is driven through our 10 BE characteristics. These include BE Proud, BE Successful, BE Driven, BE Safe, BE Independent, BE Challenged, BE Involved and BE Inspired.

Our BE characteristics are characteristics that ALL students can achieve and they are limitless to how often they can be achieved. They are positive and motivating and allow the students to feel a sense of accomplishment and pride.

We believe that the feeling of success only has a positive impact on students’ learning and their social and emotional development. The BE characteristics enhance and contribute to all aspects of our students' education and visitors to our school cannot fail to see the BE in action.

We embrace our successes linked to the BE characteristics every week with students and staff and there is a collective feeling of PRIDE amongst us all.

The Student BE Team

Our Executive Head BE Leaders, Ruby Gambrill & Stanley Shipp lead our Student BE Team. Coming soon is our Student BE Team video where you will hear from our leaders and see their impact on the ethos of Debden Park.

It is vitally important for us to ensure that our students have a voice and we have opportunities for all students to BE Involved in shaping our school. Our Student BE Team is made up of an Executive Year 13 team deputised by our strong, committed and passionate Year 11 BE Leaders. This team of outstanding students then support our ‘Debden Hearts’ who are our KS3 BE leaders, who contribute through supporting different events within the school. They also support our Year 10/11 prefect team.

The main aim of our Student BE Team is to promote and develop the BE characteristics with all students. They support in Curriculum through the Year 12 Ambassador programme, promote and lead within our enrichment programme. We currently have an extensive programme of over 50 different clubs - Enrichment timetable. Our BE Team also promote the BE Journey, which shows opportunities / ideas for students to get involved in to develop their character and contribute to the BE characteristics. The BE JOURNEY 23-24

In addition, they lead on termly BE weeks, where the whole school has a focus on reflecting on their learning and achievements both inside and outside of the classroom, lead inspiring assemblies, lead charity events such as Macmillan Coffee morning and our annual Christmas Food Bank donation scheme. Our BE leaders are students who our school community look up to and aspire to be like. We are very proud of all they do. They are the heart of Debden Park and their contribution is visible for all.

Developing our BE Characteristics though BE Successful Statements

We believe that reflective learners make great learners, we believe that celebrating achievements increases motivation and we believe that every student at Debden Park has the potential to BE Outstanding. Our students demonstrate this by writing a personal BE successful statement at the end of every term, as part of their BE Week. In this statement they reflect on their successes; in lessons, in their enrichment commitments, their achievements outside of school and their contribution to the BE, alongside the skills they have developed. By the end of the year these statements show the story of the students journey. One of our examples can be seen below

BE SUCCESSFUL STATEMENT  By a Year 7 student 2022-23

In Term 1 I was successful in English because I can correctly use discourse markers  in a piece of writing. Another reason is that I have learnt about Monisha Rajesh and understood her travel writing. I even know about a piece of Charles Dickens travel writing! My biggest achievement in English is my travel writing being shown on Year 6 Open Day! My successes in English have helped me in extra curricular clubs such as the Debate Club and the English club. This relates to BE Proud.

I have been successful in Maths because I have been learning and revising on function machines in Madam Townson’s class. Another success in maths is that I can solve algebraic equations! Furthermore, I can identify and solve word problems that involve numbers and letters. My biggest achievement in maths my NNJR results have been successful! I have been able to use my maths skills in other subjects such as geography and science. This relates to BE Driven.

This term, I have also been successful in geography because I can now understand what a geographer is and how I can be one at DPHS. Another reason is that I have expanded my knowledge on compasses and now know why people such as explorers need them. I even know how a compass works! Also, I  have learnt about the British Isles! My biggest achievement in geography is that I have learnt many keywords and facts that geographers need to know! I have been able to use my geography coordinates skills in science and my geography facts in the David Attenborough Club. This relates to BE Challenged.

In period one, I have been successful in Equality and Diversity by understanding what  racism is and how I can make a change. Furthermore, I have been successful learning about the BLM protests and understanding the Diversity performance about this topic. I have been able to create Prep cards, questions and quizzes with Mr Greendale’s videos. In BE Reading I have understood and analysed the book which was called Scout’s Honor. My biggest achievement is being nominated for the form tutor award. This relates to BE Heard.

In terms of my reading I have been very successful. I have been reading on SORA and also the book Little Women every day. This has led me to taking multiple accelerated reader quizzes and getting over 80% . In library lessons I  participate and voice my opinions. I go to the library outside of school as well to read books related to my subjects. My biggest achievement is that in my STAR reading quiz I received a reading zone of 5.0-12.9. This relates to BE Outstanding. 

I have been successful in joining extracurricular activities. On Thursday morning I go to the Breakfast club to talk to my Ambition Tutor who is Madam Green. At lunchtime I go to the Debate Club on Mondays (Madam Bonnici), Stellar English Club on  Wednesdays (Madam Flint and Sixth Formers) and David Attenborough Club on Thursdays (Mr Greengrass). After school I go to the Culture Club on Wednesdays(Madam Bouhdadi) and After school club (Madam Green).This relates to BE Involved.

Overall, my first term at DPHS has been successful. My attendance was 94.12%! Our class received the highest number of positives award! In my extra curricular activities I have been successful at making friends and helping peers. This term I received no negatives! My biggest achievement this term is that I have been able to settle into my new school, DPHS. This relates to BE Successful.

In Term 2, I have been successful in Maths because I can multiply, divide, add and subtract decimals. I have contributed in class consistently and asked for help when I needed it. I have enjoyed completing maths prep on SENECA. I have also learnt about area and perimeter. I now know how to find the area of a trapezium and parallelogram. Furthermore, I can find missing lengths in compound shapes. My biggest achievement this term is getting 100% in my NNJR! This relates to BE Challenged.

This term, I have been very successful in English because I know how to infer evidence from a text and support my inferences. I have been reading the book Trash by Andy Mulligan. I have really enjoyed reading this book and making good inferences. This is one of my favourite books because it is very eye-opening and voices a lot of problems around the world. Another reason is that I can read confidently during class and use expression. This term we completed a CAF assessment. I am really proud of my piece of creative writing for this assessment. In Term 2, I have thoroughly enjoyed speaking in English! In my English lessons with Mr Powell we have had lots of interesting discussions. I have engaged well in class and have tried hard to make accurate inferences based on the text. This relates to BE Heard. My successes in English have helped me when completing independent reading. This relates to BE Outstanding. 

In history, I have been learning about mediaeval life. I have been successful in writing explanations about the The Feudal System. I really enjoyed learning about the Peasant Revolt because I found it fascinating. I also liked learning about Wharram Percy because I get to make predictions on what might have happened and why. I have learnt how to answer essay questions and receive the highest number of marks possible. This is useful across all subjects because explaining your reasons is a crucial skill when sitting an exam. My biggest challenge this term was understanding why the peasants had to pay the same amount of taxes as the Nobles. I love learning about history and making theories on why events in the past have happened. My biggest achievement this term was getting 20/26 on my TKAT test! Outside of school, I have been learning about history through a number of ways. I have been visiting many museums and palaces. My favourite museum to visit is the Imperial War Museum because it has many exhibitions and a wide range of topics. My favourite exhibition to visit is about Hitler’s rise to power and the events of the Holocaust. I have also learnt about the Nazis and their roles. I have also been consistently watching documentaries on The Nazis, Mediaeval life and The Tudors.  This relates to BE Independent.

In terms of geography, I have been successful in learning and revising about tides and waves. I have really enjoyed this topic because I found it very interesting about how tides work. My favourite lesson was about Longshore drift because I found it fascinating on how sediment travels around the coast. My biggest achievement this term is knowing how to explain in detail the difference between constructive and destructive waves. This relates to BE Proud.

In Term 2 I was successful in Period 1. We have been reading the book Proud of Me by Sarah Hagger-Holt. It is a very interesting book and I have really enjoyed reading it. This relates to BE Inspired. We have also been learning about the importance of budgeting and not spending more than you have saved. We have completed a lot of useful Prep Tasks by using Mr Greendale’s videos. My favourite method of prep is ‘Brain Dump’ because I find it the most useful way of revising. We had an assembly about online safety and I learnt the dangers of social media and why it is important to be cautious. This relates to BE Safe.

This term, I have been reading everyday consistently. I have read a wide variety of books and genres. My favourite book was ‘This Is Going to Hurt’  by Adam Kay because I really enjoyed learning about the life of a doctor and why the NHS is important. My biggest achievement is that I read ‘Wuthering Heights’ by Emily Bronte! I felt that this book pushed my reading age and helped me with vocabulary. In my STAR reading test, I got a 5.0-12.9. I am very proud of myself and will continue to read every day and visit the library regularly. Reading frequently has helped me across all subjects in school. Particularly English and History because in those subjects I write lots of explanations.  This relates to BE Driven.  

I have been very successful in enrichment and being involved. I attend English Club(Madam Flint), David Attenborough Club(Mr Greengrass), Ambition Tutor Breakfast Club( Madam Green and Madam Kerswell) and Ambition After School Club. My favourite activity in Ambition After School Club was baking shortbread biscuits. It was very fun and I love going to Ambition because I get to meet new people! Outside of school, I attend a dance school where I practise my tap and ballet grade. I also attend swimming lessons where I have been learning new strokes and lifeguarding skills. This relates to BE Involved 

Overall, term 2 has been very successful. I have been completing 15- 20 minutes of prep everyday and have improved across all my subjects and extracurricular activities. I have really enjoyed learning new skills and helping peers around me. This term, I received 2 engagement awards and I didn’t receive any negatives or detentions! Our form received the most positives this term! This relates to BE Successful. 

In Term 5, I have been successful in History because on my easter history test I got 97%! I am really proud of myself because I got the 16 mark question right and learnt how to structure it correctly. This term, I have been learning about the English Civil War which was about the Roundheads and the Cavaliers. I can identify differences between the opposing sides. I also know the reasons why the Roundheads won and how they were a stronger army than the King’s Army. These skills can help me in the future in subjects such as English. Another reason why I have been successful in History is that I consistently participate in class discussions. I have also been learning about whether Oliver Cromwell was a good leader of England as he was responsible for making the country Puritan. We learnt about what happened to his head 3 years later after his funeral fit for a king. I liked learning about this because I have never learnt about it before. I have really enjoyed this topic because I did not know that England was once a Republic (country with no monarchy). This relates to BE Outstanding. 

In English, I have been learning about language analysis. I have been analysing soliloquies from Richard III. I am able to write full length paragraphs about the text and zoom into important keywords. I also know the difference between explicit meaning and implicit meaning. I can infer from text and I also know how juxtaposition makes the script more effective. My biggest achievement this term was writing a full essay about how Richard is portrayed throughout the play. I have really enjoyed this topic and have improved a lot on language analysis this term. This relates to BE Proud. 

In geography, I have been successful in understanding the difference between weather and climate. I have also been able to understand how flooding is dangerous and what a cause and effect is. From last term and this term, I have learnt about different types of engineering which can preserve our coastlines. I have learnt about ‘ The Beast From the East’ and how it affected the UK. I really enjoyed this topic because it was really current and I now know this topic more in depth. My biggest achievement this term has been taking my end of term test and not leaving a question blank! This relates to BE Driven.

In Maths, I have learnt about angles, properties and graphs. I have really enjoyed learning about angles because I now know how to calculate missing angles. I also know about parallel lines and how to identify them. This term, I have learnt about alternate, co interior and corresponding angles. I also know how to make a scatter graph and plot data. I can independently make a stem and leaf graph with different types of data. I have been able to revise on different topics in maths for my end of term test in June! My biggest achievement this term was being able to draw reflex angles with a protractor. This relates to BE Challenged.

In Drama, I have been successful in understanding Macbeth. I know how to create a clear soundscape with different noises using my body. I have been practising stage combat and learning how to do it in a safe manner. For our end of term assessment, we had to act out 4 scenes of Macbeth using our skills and knowledge of the play. I have been successful in making my body language exaggerated and clear on which character I am playing. My favourite thing was doing ‘The Witches’ Scene because I got to make a soundscape and use body language to make my character appear more like a witch. A challenge this term was doing stage combat because we had to make it look believable but also do it safely. To complete this task, I had to angle myself with my back towards the audience. This was a challenge because you still had to hear and see the punch but not see how the noise of the punch was being made. We also had to make a moving forest which we did by making noises of trees, wind and birds. This relates to BE Safe. 

In terms of reading, I have been very successful because I have read a number of books with different types of text. I was invited to join Yoto Carnegie and so far have read 5 of the 6 Carnegie books. I have been able to write book reviews and post them onto the website.My favourite Carnegie book has been ‘The Blue Book of Nebo’ and I have really enjoyed it because it was a dystopian book which I thought was really interesting. I have been reading independently at home. I have challenged myself to read books which are written in verse(such as ‘The Weight of Water’). I have been reading 45 minutes in the morning and an hour at night to improve my reading age. I took my STAR reading test and got 5-12.9. I have been going to the LRC for Madam Longman’s recommendations. My biggest achievement this term was reading 10 books this term! This relates to BE Heard. 

In period 1, I have been learning about different types of disabilities and how some are not visible. I also learnt about discrimination against people with disabilities and that some people don’t have the respect they deserve. We also learnt about PRIDE and why there are pride marches across the globe. We have been doing BE Reading and have continued reading ‘Proud of Me’. This book highlights the PRIDE community and is about 2 siblings with 2 mums. I found it interesting and it was a really good book. I have been doing PREP in form time with Mr Greendale’s prep videos. I’ve been doing prep activities such as ‘Brain Dump’ and retrieval quizzes. My biggest achievement this term was doing a page of Brain Dump about History. This relates to BE Inspired. 

In enrichment, I have been doing multiple things. I have been going to Culture Club weekly and learning about different countries such as Japan, Russia and France. My favourite thing was trying different Russian snacks and listening to Russian music. I have attended Hockey Club and learnt a number of skills such as scoring, dribbling and tackling. My biggest challenge was learning how to dribble with the hockey stick however I now know how to do it! Every lunchtime, I have been volunteering in the LRC. I have learnt how to loan and return books on the system and even search up a book as well! I have been doing jobs such as shelving books, sticking barcodes onto books and printing out reading ages for books. I also tidy the bookshelves and make sure the reading ages are in order. Outside of school, I go to dance class once a week and practise tap, ballet, musical theatre and street dance. I have been preparing for my exam and dance show every week. On my inset and consultation days, I have been volunteering at my old primary school and helping children in KS1 with their reading and writing. I have also helped children with their maths skills by helping them learn how to subtract on their fingers. I have been enjoying this because it is very crucial that children practise their reading skills and their phonics. This relates to BE Involved. 

In Science, I have learnt about the digestive system and the different parts of it. I know where and why enzymes are created and where bile is stored. In Physics, I know the 3 different types of heat transfers and the changes of state. Now, I know how we keep heat in our house and different methods of it. In Chemistry, I have been learning about exothermic and endothermic reactions. This term, we did a practical on exothermic and endothermic reactions. To do this we had to plan our experiment by making an equipment list and a hypothesis. Afterwards, we had to gather our equipment and pour 50 ml of hydrochloric acid into a beaker and measure the starting temperature. When we added the magnesium ribbons we identified an endothermic reaction as the temperature of the acid increased by 8 degrees celsius.  My biggest achievement this term is taking my end of term assessment and not leaving an answer blank and that I revised for it independently in Think Tank. This relates to BE Independent. 

Overall, Term 5 has been very successful for me because I have received 100% attendance and no negatives or detentions! I was lucky enough to be able to attend a very exciting English school trip to Shakespeare’s globe. I loved this school trip because I learnt about a lot of new things and got to go on a boat ride in the River Thames! I participate in class discussions consistently and help peers in class. I have also been completing PREP outside of school. To improve my history, I have been watching documentaries and visiting historical places such as museums and palaces. This relates to BE Successful.

This week I have taken part in ‘Better Together’ Week. I have had so many opportunities to do amazing things and have used skills such as team work. On Monday, I participated in Sports Day and did the javelin event. I also cheered on my peers during the track events. On Tuesday, I took part in interform sport day and our form won the rounders competition. I also participated in tug of war. We came second in the dance showcase! One of my highlights of the day(and the whole week) was taking part in the charity walk. I did 13 laps of the school and brought in my donation which I’m very proud of.Our form did the most laps of the school! On culture day I learnt so much about my teachers and really enjoyed tasting the food and learning about the languages and traditions. In Judaism, I learnt that you have to bless the apples and honey before you eat it. In Pakistan, I learnt that the national sport is field hockey! In Musical Truths, I was assigned English and made my own slang dictionary! This was super fun and I loved making the promotional video, leaflets and posters! I developed skills such as problem solving and communication. On my last day of school we won the interform competition and which was the biggest highlight of the year! This week I have contributed to all the BEs and developed lots of vital skills! However the 3 BEs I showed most were BE Proud, BE Driven and BE Outstanding because I achieved lots of amazing things and worked really hard.