At Watling Academy, we believe that every student should learn in an environment that is safe, calm, ambitious and supportive. Our culture is built upon our core values of Respect, Responsibility and Kindness, which underpin everything we do and shape the way students, staff and families work together as one community.
We have high expectations because we want every student to thrive academically, socially and personally. Our approach to behaviour is founded on positive relationships, clear expectations and excellent pastoral care. We recognise, celebrate and reward students who consistently demonstrate our values, contribute positively to school life and work hard to achieve their potential.
Ready to Learn
We believe that students learn best when they arrive prepared, organised and focused on success.
Being Ready to Learn means:
- Arriving on time and prepared for the day ahead.
- Bringing the correct equipment to every lesson.
- Wearing the correct uniform with pride.
- Following instructions first time.
- Showing respect to staff, fellow students and the learning environment.
- Taking responsibility for behaviour, effort and conduct.
We work closely with families to establish positive routines that support readiness for learning. Through a shared commitment between home and school, students develop the independence, resilience and self-discipline needed for success both in school and beyond.
Celebrating Success
We believe that recognising achievement is fundamental to building confidence, motivation and positive behaviour. Students are regularly rewarded when they demonstrate our values of Respect, Responsibility and Kindness.
By celebrating success consistently, we reinforce the behaviours and attitudes that help all students flourish.
High Expectations
We are committed to maintaining a calm and purposeful environment where every student has the right to learn and every teacher has the right to teach.
When students fall short of our expectations, staff use a clear and consistent graduated approach that provides opportunities for reflection, support and improvement before issues escalate. Alongside appropriate consequences, restorative conversations help students understand the impact of their actions and make positive changes moving forward.
Our pastoral model is built on the principle that no child is anonymous. We work hard to know our students as individuals, understand their needs, recognise their strengths and provide support at the earliest opportunity. Through strong relationships and timely intervention, we aim to ensure that every student feels a genuine sense of belonging.
Importantly, our approach is not solely about sanctions. We invest heavily in pastoral care and early intervention. Students may receive support from Form Tutors, Heads of Year, pastoral staff, and specialist interventions designed to identify barriers and help students make sustained improvements. Where required, we also work closely with parents, carers and external agencies to ensure students receive the right support at the right time.
Mobile Phones
To support learning, wellbeing and safeguarding, we operate a mobile phone free school day. Our approach aligns with the Department for Education’s statutory guidance on mobile phones in schools, originally published in February 2024 and updated in June 2026. The guidance states that schools should be mobile phone free environments by default and should prohibit the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, including lessons, transition times, breaktimes and lunchtime.
Students may bring mobile phones or similar devices to school for use when travelling to and from the academy. However, these devices must be switched off and stored securely throughout the school day. Mobile phones, smart watches and other communication or recording devices must not be used, seen or heard during lessons, social times or while on the school site.
This approach helps to:
- Minimise distractions and improve focus.
- Promote positive social interaction.
- Protect students from online harms and misuse of technology.
- Support safeguarding across the academy.
By removing the distraction of mobile phones during the school day, we help students remain focused on learning, build positive relationships with their peers and engage fully with academy life. This reinforces our Ready to Learn expectations and supports the calm, purposeful environment that enables all students to succeed.
We encourage all students to use technology responsibly and remind them that any misuse of digital devices, including recording others without consent or sharing inappropriate content online, will be taken seriously.
A Safe and Inclusive Community
At Watling Academy, kindness and respect are non-negotiable. We are proud of our inclusive culture and are committed to ensuring that every student feels valued, safe and supported.
Bullying, harassment and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated. We recognise that bullying can occur in person or online and may involve repeated actions intended to cause harm. We educate students about respectful relationships, diversity, online safety and responsible behaviour through our wider curriculum, assemblies and pastoral programme.
All concerns are taken seriously, investigated appropriately and followed up with support for those affected. We believe that creating a culture of kindness means empowering students to speak up, support one another and take collective responsibility for maintaining a safe and inclusive environment.
Students can report concerns to any member of staff or by emailing callitout@watling.academy.
Working in Partnership with Families
Strong partnerships between school and home are essential to student success. We ask parents and carers to support our expectations around attendance, punctuality, uniform, readiness to learn, conduct and the responsible use of technology. Together, we can ensure that every student develops the character, confidence and values needed to succeed.
Our commitment to Respect, Responsibility and Kindness helps create a culture where students feel known, supported and inspired to achieve their very best. By maintaining high expectations, celebrating success, providing effective support and ensuring that no child is anonymous, we create an environment where every student can thrive and fulfil their potential.
Our policies regarding behaviour, bullying and mobile phones can be found on the Policies and Statutory Information page.
