School Values Ambassadors
Our Values Ambassadors are made up of Year 6 children who have been tasked with promoting our school Values. Their role will involve: tallying the Value Merits from the classrooms and adding them to the whole school total; participating in Values assemblies; handing out Values awards and sharing examples of excellent citizens in our school. The Values Ambassadors will also contribute to our weekly 'East Ward Values' newsletter, which will celebrate and promote our Values and have a half termly whole-school focus. This newsletter will be shared with all classes every Friday.
Each class has their own set of Value Merits that are given out by teachers and staff when children are displaying one of our Values. Every class focuses on one Value each week by linking it to learning and behaviour. For example: 'This week we are challenging ourselves to use semi-colons in our writing.' Value Merits help to consistently raise our expectations with our behaviour and learning across school.
In addition to their weekly jobs, the Value Ambassadors have an area of responsibility such as safeguarding, SEND and Health Heroes.
Eco-Councillors
The Eco-Council plays a vital role in promoting environmental awareness and sustainability within our school community. It is made up of a group of children from Year 1 to Year 6, all of who were voted for by their classmates. The Eco-Councillors work together to implement eco-friendly practices, such as reducing waste, conserving energy, and encouraging recycling, often leading initiatives like organising school-wide clean-ups, planting trees, and educating peers about environmental issues. The team is led by Mrs McEwen and meet every fortnight. In 2023-2024, they worked hard to achieve the Eco Schools Green Flag award - something that we are hoping to build on over the next few years. By empowering pupils to take an active role in protecting the planet, the eco-council helps foster a sense of responsibility, teamwork, and environmental stewardship, which can have a lasting impact both within the school and beyond.
Librarians
Reading Buddies
Our Reading Buddies are paired with younger children and act as reading mentors. The role of Reading Buddies is to support younger children in developing their reading skills. These older children help the younger ones by reading aloud together, discussing stories, and providing guidance on pronunciation, vocabulary, and comprehension. The reading buddy program not only aids in improving the younger children's literacy but also fosters a sense of responsibility and leadership in the older pupils. Through this collaborative approach, both groups benefit: the younger children gain confidence and a love for reading, while the older children reinforce their own reading abilities and develop important communication skills. Year 1 teachers allocate a buddy to children who need further support to 'keep up and catch up' with their reading, providing more opportunities to read out aloud and develop their sounding and blending and fluency.
Playtime Buddies
The Playtime Buddies take on the role of helping children feel included and supported during playtimes. Their main responsibility is to ensure that all children have someone to play with and that no one feels left out or isolated. The Playtime Buddies encourage positive social interactions by organising games, supervising activities, and mediating conflicts when necessary - something which they have received training for by Bury School Games. By being friendly and approachable, they help create a safe and welcoming environment where all children can enjoy their playtimes. In addition to building friendships and promoting teamwork, Playtime Buddies develop important leadership and communication skills, contributing to a positive and inclusive school culture.