Thorndon school ushers in a fresh start with rainbow values, logos and new uniforms
A school has opted to bring in sweeping changes this week, with the introduction of a new uniform designed to match its core beliefs.
Thorndon Primary School is guided by a ‘rainbow values’ system, with each colour representing one of seven different principals that are used to help oversee school life.
The values include responsibility, perseverance, co-operation, kindness, friendliness, honesty and respect.
Headteacher Emily Simpson said: “Eighteen months ago, when I started at the school, I introduced the rainbow values so that the children had something to guide them in their day-to-day lives.
“The idea is to teach them positive values they can implement in terms of their behaviour, how they treat others and their learning.
“Perseverance is an important one because it’s okay to make mistakes, but resilience and the determination to keep trying are key skills to learn. All these skills we hope they will carry into high school and beyond.
“We do assemblies on these values, children talk about them in class and, each week, we give out certificates to those pupils who have particularly demonstrated one of them.”
Initially trialled at the school 18 months ago, the children were encouraged to use the moral code in their everyday lives.
The idea was embraced so keenly by the wider school community that a logo and uniform have now been adopted to underline the approach.
Mrs Summer said: “This summer, I began thinking that it would be really nice if our school logo and uniform matched our values, so we decided to make the change.
“It’s just a coincidence that the logo is the same as the NHS appreciation rainbow that was adopted during lockdown, but we don’t mind sharing it and the children were excited to see that they had the same logo.
“We’re a church school, so we chose the rainbow as it’s a symbol of hope.
“It’s a fresh start since lockdown and the children have been so happy to see their friends and start classes again.”
