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Vision, Values and Ethos

Our Vision and Mission

Our School and Federation's Vision is a world where people with learning disabilities and mental health "thrive".

Our Mission is to Promote the Abilities in Disability within our immediate, local and wider communities in order that our vision is realised.

Our School's Values

  • We look after ourselves
  • We look after each other
  • We look after our environment
  • We look after our learning

Our Federation Three Year Strategy

Context for our Strategy

Young people starting employment now will work longer and change jobs more often – competing in what is an increasingly uncertain jobs market.   Government statistics identify the vast majority of adults with SEND and/or complex mental health difficulties are not in employment.   In competing with highly qualified peers (more than 50% of school leavers attend university) our curricula have to be relevant, purposeful and appropriate in securing employment opportunities for our leavers.  Within and across our schools the young people’s needs are incredibly diverse, requiring high levels of flexibility and creativity of the adults working with them to ensure curriculum breadth, work-related learning and the functional application of skills in addition to the rising confidence levels and self-esteem needed to effectively navigate the challenges of our mainstream world.

In this rapidly changing world, we have identified two strategic priorities that will focus our drive on achieving our vision:

  1. Adapt our curricula to better ensure our young people have success into adulthood
  • In securing excellent progress in learning for young people, irrespective of needs or starting point, the curriculum will focus on relevance, purpose and the transitional skills required for individuals’ success into adulthood and employability.  
  • Our partnerships with local, national and international organisations will be widened and maximized to create real work opportunities for our young people to gain every advantage in the Post-16 learning and work places of our mainstream world.
  • Our environments require improved resourcing to facilitate the curricula and our high expectations.
  1. Work collaboratively and creatively to secure quality-first teaching and learning
  • Our rapidly changing cohort of children with complex SEND and mental health requires excellent CPD opportunities to extend staff knowledge, support and ensure quality-first teaching, innovation and relevance.
  • Opportunities for outstanding teacher-led development practices within and across our schools can be enriched through existing specialisms of the adults working here along with the increase in online training available as one of the few positive outcomes of the pandemic. 
  • Clarity in whole school initiatives must be determined and shared.
  • Work/activities must be evaluated for impact and discarded where necessary/ bolstered where proven effective to improve job satisfaction
  • Improved use of research and the sharing of good practices must be captured to elevate our shared passion for improvement and impactful collaborative work.

Our Federation of Schools - What We Stand For

Our Federation consists of cross phase Hertfordshire special needs schools, keen to demonstrate that school to school collaborative practice can create exceptionally successful learning communities.

Our Core Purpose
Our core purpose is to support the creation of unique and remarkable schools that collaborate effectively through an ambitious attitude to learning, self-improvement and high standards.

Ten Key Features of The Blue Tangerine Federation:

1. Core Values: We look after ourselves, each other, our learning and our environment.

2. Learners, despite social background, academic starting point or vulnerability, are supported and challenged to make progress and achieve relevant knowledge and skills to equip them through childhood into adulthood.

3. Leadership shapes the culture, the strategic direction and the climate of our schools. They inspire colleagues. They are highly visible. They distribute leadership effectively and empower colleagues to innovate. They assess impact accurately and hold colleagues to account in an emotionally mature way.  They are learners and seek regular feedback on the effectiveness of the leadership from pupils, staff and parents.

4. Curriculum: We create a fluid response to the changing needs of cohorts, transitioning seamlessly through key stages. We prepare learners to thrive in the mainstream adult world by effective teaching of appropriate knowledge and skills through diverse opportunities.

5. Quality Teaching; our teachers design learning. They are experts in planning lessons with clear purpose to ensure that every learner can problem solve, work independently and in teams, create new things, demonstrate what they have learnt, reflect on how to do even better.

6. Climate for learning; a climate to flourish in. Learners feel safe, are rewarded for effort, achievement, attendance and positive behaviours. They respect and contribute to our communities positively.

7. Staff welfare & professional development is evident through our people being able to change lives. Their work-life balance is improving with dedicated time to work collaboratively. Their professional development is paramount and stems from self-reflection and CPD and effective teamwork. We seek to identify talent and enrich this.

8. Parents are actively involved in the school. They are key partners in supporting their child’s learning. We communicate effectively with them and encourage them to visit school regularly to discuss their child’s learning and to see them exhibit their learning and work.

9. Data is used across the association to gather appropriate information to systematically and accurately inform learning development for pupil and staff learners as well as maximise efficiencies.

10. School effectiveness; each school is cost effective, links successfully to shared service developments and are legally compliant in all aspects including safeguarding.