Ethos and Values

Transforming lives through learning

Our vision at Ridgeway High School is a simple one: to transform lives through learning. It is at the heart of all that we do.

Transforming lives through learning means:

• Equipping young people with the knowledge and skills required to take advantage of opportunities and experiences in later life
• Enhancing literacy skills so that students read, write and converse fluently and with precision and authority
• Celebrating the rich history of human achievement and instilling an appreciation of the value of lifelong learning
• Nurturing character values that strengthen students’ sense of self and responsibility to others

Our values

The school’s underlying values – things like treating others as you would want to be treated yourself, and encouraging every young person to fulfil their potential – don’t change, but sometimes it is useful to revisit the key ideas or concepts we use to express them.

Following consultations with staff and the student senior leadership team in the summer of 2026, we reached a consensus around three words that are simple and easy to remember but nevertheless encapsulate the values that we want students to adopt as their moral compass and their guide on how to conduct themselves.

The three words are:

• Respect
• Kindness
• Success

Health and wellbeing

We value both physical and mental health and wellbeing. We want every student to be happy and to enjoy school, feeling safe, secure and cared for. We promote a caring culture, with students outward-looking, tolerant and compassionate.