Westcliff High School for Boys

We believe this Statement will be endorsed by the overwhelming majority of our parents present and prospective. No young person will learn effectively unless he is both happy and secure; unless his individuality is respected; his difficulties understood; his interests extended and his talent developed. At WHSB, we address the moral, spiritual, cultural and social as well as academic needs of each child. Discipline we have, and are prepared to enforce in the interests of the whole community, but our first responsibility is to encourage its development from within. Knowledge and skills. We recognize that between the ages of 11 and 18 young people have to begin to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to equip them for adult life. Without these, they will leave School with few formal academic qualifications and they will be denied access to the more challenging, rewarding and satisfying careers. Worthwhile activities and beliefs. Knowledge and skills by themselves serve little purpose unless those who have them have also a coherent set of values. We believe it is important that those in a position to influence young people try, with patience and sensitivity, to encourage them towards a respect for worthwhile activities and beliefs. We hope that pupils at WHSB will acquire not only qualifications but a respect for scholarship and learning as things worthwhile in themselves. They should develop an appreciation of human achievement in art, music, science, literature and public life but they should also learn to think critically, to respect evidence, to distinguish between opinions and prejudices and to make balanced judgements of their own. Personal Values. We try to foster a respect for the importance of work, self-discipline, initiative, reliability, punctuality and tidiness. We believe that it does matter how we dress, how we speak and how we conduct and organize our lives. It matters too that we have high expectations of ourselves. Moral Values. We care too about conduct, about honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, tolerance and respect for the opinions, beliefs and interests of others. We care not only about what we achieve but how we achieve it. We try to encourage pupils to recognize the inter-dependence of individuals, groups and nations, to understand that life ought never to be entirely self-regarding and to appreciate that we do have obligations to others and to the community. We believe that from those to whom much is given, much is expected. If a Grammar School education is a 'privilege', it should make us conscious of our duties. The ethic of service we regard more highly than that of self-interest: we are part of a community, not isolated and self-centred individuals. We hope that all parents with children at WHSB will accept these as legitimate and worthwhile values and will work with the School to enable them to be part of the experience we offer to each pupil.