Vision and Values

Our Vision

We are an Academy which takes our motto of ‘Hard Work, High Aspirations, Limitless Opportunities’ seriously. However, our motto is not just a catchy slogan that we use on publicity materials; Rather, it is the encapsulation of our vision; We aspire and strive to be a school which is characterised by Hard Work, High Aspirations, Limitless Opportunities in all that we do and our motto inspires and motivates us on our journey of continual improvement.

Excellence means ‘Surpassing standards’, ‘Striving for improvement’, ‘Delivering high-quality results’. And so ‘excellence’ for EDA means being the best school around. And this means achieving the very highest of standards in all areas of school life, not just in one or two narrow areas of specialism. And when we talk about ‘all areas of school life’ we are referring to the following six strategic areas, in which we strive for excellence, and which provide the framework for our Academy Development and Improvement Plan:

Academic Success
Ensuring that standards of attainment and rates of progress continue to be exceptionally high for all students and for all key student groups. The starting point for academic excellence is the curriculum and the driving force is the facilitation of high quality learning and progress.

Broadening Horizons, Skills & Experiences
Ensuring that our students build on their academic success and gain broader skills and experiences which will help them become well-rounded, employable citizens in Modern Britain.

Culture & Ethos
If we are to be characterised by excellence for all in all that we do, then the daily educational environment must be conducive to this, by being:
-calm and orderly
-caring and friendly
-aspirational and collaborative

Developing Staff
Staffing is the most important Academy resource. Ongoing school improvement depends upon staff feeling happy, cared for, listened to and professionally equipped to fulfil their role to the highest standard possible.

Engaging With the Community and Stakeholders
It is not possible for a stand-alone school, working in splendid isolation, to enjoy sustainable success and improvement. Therefore, being proactive and collaborative in the way in which we work with stakeholders and engage with community partners is vital.

Facilitating Learning & Progress
Facilitating exceptional learning and progress is at the heart of everything we do and aspire to be as an academy. High quality teaching should never be seen as a pedagogical performance; it should only ever be regarded as the vehicle for facilitating the high quality learning and progress of all students.

And for us, the word ‘All’, although being a small word, has huge significance. It conveys the fact that we are completely non-selective and intentionally inclusive. Every young person from any background is welcome at EDA, is equally valued as a human being and has a right to a high quality education, which meets their individual needs, develops them as a whole person and helps become confident, well-rounded, employable citizens in modern Britain.
And we are determined to ensure that there is no difference between student groups, in terms of their participation, engagement, personal development and outcomes.

Our Values

Our key value of Excellence, at the heart of our motto, is underpinned and supported by the other Olympic and Paralympic values, which we have adopted as Academy values. By adopting the Olympic and Paralympic Values, we aim to pursue Excellence for All in a way which sustains positive relationships and which actively promotes the wellbeing and personal development of all stakeholders.

Excellence:              To be the best that we can be
Respect:                   To understand and appreciate others and their cultures
Friendship:              To be helpful and to develop positive relationships with all people in all circumstances
Equality:                  To treat others how we would like to be treated
Determination:      To try and try again when things go wrong
Courage:                   To stand up for what’s right and to carry on when the going gets tough
Inspiration:             To follow our role models and to be a positive role model for others