Our Values

Millbank Gardens is a very special place. Our experiences, skills and dreams are drawn from across the world. Although we come from many places, we are all united by a shared aim: to set up our children for happy, meaningful lives, full of choice and opportunity.

To help us achieve this aim, we have three core values that guide everything that we do: courage, courtesy and commitment. These values are not just words – they are deeply embedded in our school culture, from lessons and assemblies to extra-curricular activities and community events. By consistently upholding them and celebrating those who show them, we create an environment where every child can achieve success and be a positive, active member of society.

• We believe that courage is essential for personal growth and learning. We create a supportive environment where children feel safe to express themselves, take risks and step outside their comfort zone – whether the challenge is reciting a poem in front of the whole school in assembly, feeding farm animals on a residential visit or standing up respectfully for what they believe is right. By nurturing their own inner courage, our children develop the confidence to have high aspirations for themselves and the resilience to achieve those goals.
• Courtesy is built into every interaction at Millbank Gardens. We help our children learn how to communicate with those around them thoughtfully and politely, whether or not we agree with them. For us, though, courtesy is more than just good manners; it is behaviour that is kind and respectful, and takes into account others’ feelings. Through acts of kindness and empathy, our students learn to appreciate diversity, build strong relationships and contribute positively to society.
• We teach our children how important it is to show commitment in their endeavours: they learn how to set goals and work hard to achieve them. Whether their aim is to play a new piece of music on the violin, to perfect a swimming stroke or to learn the nine times tables, persevering through challenges and moments of difficulty is essential for achieving success. Commitment also means being reliable and responsible in their relations with others, and we are proud of the commitment that our student volunteers show to helping others and improving our community. By teaching the importance of commitment, we prepare our students to become self-motivated, resilient young people who acquire the knowledge and skills they will need in later life, and who are ready to shape their own futures.

Our Trust, Future Academies, was founded to give all children the best possible start in life through an education built on three Trust values: knowledge, aspiration and respect. Our three school values help our young children understand the concrete things that they can do day in, day out to live out our three Trust values and attain our motto of libertas per cultum (‘freedom through education’).

We actively promote British values to ensure young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. Children are taught to regard people of all faiths, races and cultures with respect and tolerance and understand that while different people may hold different views about what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, all people living in England are subject to its law. The key values are democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect, and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs.