Values and ethos
What defines the Latymer School
Our aim is to provide a first class, liberal education where students achieve their full potential and show consideration for others.
The Latymer School produces young people who are confident in their abilities, and considerate in their attitudes.
Confident
As a result of exceptional teaching designed to stretch and champion our students’ knowledge, Latymerians are confident in their own capabilities and attack challenges with vigour and conviction.
- We help students develop lively enquiring minds, apply themselves to tasks, and acquire practical skills and knowledge that are valued both for their own sake and for the broader good of society.
- We help students develop the ambition and self-esteem necessary to realise their full potential.
- We provide a wide range of valuable opportunities and experiences for all students.
- We ensure that school life is valued for itself as well as a preparation for adulthood and employment.
Considerate
As considerate members of the community, Latymerians are aware of their responsibilities to wider society and continually seek to behave in a way that improves and enriches the experiences of others.
- We encourage students to contribute to the common good, both now and in the future.
- We promote open-mindedness by assisting students to develop an understanding of and respect for the beliefs and values of others.
- We encourage students to understand and be aware of their own feelings and those of others.
- We help students understand the interdependence of individuals, communities and nations throughout the world and their responsibility to one another.
- We help students understand the consequences of their actions and those of others for the environment.
- We develop a respect for the principles of democracy, justice, and individual liberty and expression.
Equalities, diversity and inclusion
Our key purpose is to make the school an inclusive and safe environment for all young people regardless of their background and identity, and to ensure good support is available if they experience harm.
In 2021, following work with students arising from the Black Lives Matter and Everyone’s Invited movements, we appointed an Equalities Officer, audited our community and produced the Latymer Equalities Action Plan (LEAP). The LEAP project focusses on the characteristics protected by the Equalities Act (age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation) but may also reveal other issues outside of this remit.
In order to truly be inclusive and celebrate diversity, the Latymer School and its members will commit to these principles going forward:
- We will continue to engage with and empower students when making decisions about equality, diversity and inclusion.
- This work will be ongoing and become part of the normal culture and environment of the Latymer School, not seen as something separate to daily life at the school.
- Inclusion measures will be a mixture of individual ‘headline’ events and longer-term holistic change.
The Senior Leadership Team works with a number of key, student-led groups in the school to promote equality, including the Anti-Racist Committee, the LGBTQ+ group and the Feminist Society. Amongst other activities within the Latymer community, these groups run themed assemblies, such as Black History Month and Holocaust Memorial Day.
We believe that the work of LEAP will help us to meet two of our school’s key aims to:
- Assist pupils to develop an understanding of and respect for the beliefs and values of others.
- Help pupils understand the world and the interdependence of individuals, communities and nations.