Our Vision
Sir Thomas Rich’s School strives to be a successful, forward thinking, consultative, supportive school for pupils of all backgrounds, where the little things (manners, uniform, care for each other and the School) matter just as much as the big things (our academic and extra-curricular successes), and to prepare pupils to be positive contributors in the ever-changing world of the future.
Our Core Aims
Sir Thomas Rich’s helps students develop a strong and clear sense of who they are and what they can achieve. In nurturing and encouraging intellectual curiosity, tolerance and leadership, we prepare young people not only for success at university and in the workplace, but also to lead happy and fulfilled lives.
Whilst we push our students to achieve their very best, we also make space for them to have fun at school, to enjoy activities and to give them the opportunity to broaden their interests and refine their skills.
We help our students to achieve their goals through our four core aims:
- expecting high academic standards
- encouraging extracurricular activities
- promoting kindness and respect
- offering the very highest levels of pastoral support.
Please see our Priorities for Development for further information.
Our Values
As a state-funded, selective Grammar School, our core value is to provide an enriching, rounded, aspirational curriculum for pupils of all backgrounds, with high quality lessons delivered by subject expect teachers. We aim to reduce barriers of disadvantage through our quality first teaching and bespoke interventions, and equally importantly through our admissions process (See Inclusion for more information).
A sense of community
We build a sense of community and what it means to be a Richian right from a student’s very first visit to the School; kindness and respect for each other are the norm.
Above all, we put the highest level of pastoral care at the heart of everything we do; we pride ourselves on our 'small school ethos', and we work hard to get to know our students as individuals.
Our aim is for every student to enjoy their time at Sir Thomas Rich’s, developing healthy, happy relationships with peers and adults which build self-confidence and resilience.
A Single Sex Education (Years 7 - 11)
Our single-sex education in Key Stage 3 and 4 provides many benefits to boys as they move through secondary school:
- Our subject expert teachers skilfully adapt their teaching to meet pupils’ needs, using approaches that support boys to stay motivated and achieve highly.
- Our learning environment supports boys’ development, providing the structure and challenge they need as they mature academically and at a natural pace.
- Boys have greater confidence to engage in learning and take risks in lessons without fear of embarrassment or comparison.
- Boys openly address issues like toxic masculinity and the benefits and risks of adolescence, creating positive male attitudes and respectful relationships.
- Our academic results at GCSE continue to buck the national trend that girls out-perform boys.
- Our single-sex environment prepares boys for life in our large, thriving mixed Sixth Form, where they can contribute equally and confidently in a mature setting alongside the many girls who join us in Year 12.
British Values Statement
This statement should be read in conjunction with the links at the end of this page.
Sir Thomas Rich’s School is committed to serving its community. The school recognises the multi-cultural, multi faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.
The School follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. Sir Thomas Rich’s School is dedicated to preparing students for their adult life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British Values to all its students.
The Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools. The government set out its definition of British values in the 2023 Prevent Strategy.
The five British Values are:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
The School uses both our curriculum and our Tommy’s Way to demonstrate and exemplify these values through our school ethos.
The examples that follow show some of the many ways Sir Thomas Rich’s seeks to embed British Values.
Democracy
The principle of democracy is explored within the curriculum, particularly in PSHE and Citizenship. Democratic processes are used to select tutor group representatives and other positions of responsibility such as that of School Captain. The School has an effective and well-managed School Council system which enables students to participate in the democratic process.
The rule of law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced at Sir Thomas Rich’s School.
Students are taught about expectations within the classroom and this is codified through the Behaviour and Discipline Policy. Sir Thomas Rich’s has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and appearance and these are reinforced through the School rules in the Policy and the Uniform Policy. All teachers within the School actively uphold these and this is further reinforced through our programme of assemblies.
Individual liberty
At Sir Thomas Rich’s, students are actively encouraged to make independent choices, with the knowledge that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Staff at Sir Thomas Rich’s educate and provide boundaries for students to make informed choices, through a safe environment and an empowering education.
Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised on how to exercise these safely; this is a strand of much of the PSHE curriculum and is reinforced through the pastoral system and assemblies.
In order to protect the safe space for the liberty of each individual, Sir Thomas Rich’s has an Anti-Bullying Policy and a Behaviour and Discipline Policy which are reviewed regularly and robustly enforced. We also have a large team of student-led Antibullying Ambassadors, who actively champion individuality, alongside our LGBTQ+ Society.
Mutual respect
Sir Thomas Rich's is committed to creating a cohesive community where pupils feel physically and emotionally safe, where communication is open and honest.
Mutual respect is in evidence throughout the curriculum. All students are given the opportunity to express their views in lessons within the context of an environment within which these will be valued, even when there is disagreement; this is evidenced through lesson observations.
The Tommy’s Way serves as a foundation for our school ethos, where the little things, such as saying good morning, holding doors open for each other, showing interpersonal kindness and upstander behaviour are at the heart of being a Richian.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
The promotion of respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs take place in both individual Year Group, Key Stage and whole School assemblies.
Assemblies will not only be led by the Senior Leadership Team and other staff but also by different religious leaders from the local community.
The Head of Key Stage 3 and Head of Year 7 organise for staff to visit all feeder schools, including Islamic schools, which helps to build good community relationships. Local Imams are invited to lead School assemblies and the Headteacher visits local mosques.