The Waltham Forest Free School will be non-denominational and we anticipate that the local community will provide a diverse multi-ethnic, multi-cultural student population. As such, the richness of such a population will provide a platform for students to learn about the other faiths, cultures and communities which make up modern Britain, thereby creating a culture of respect, understanding and acceptance. At the same time, the curriculum will also promote the values that ensure our students are fully integrated into British society with a full understanding of their roles and responsibilities within a democratic state.
Our school vision and commitment to the ‘Every Child, All The Time’ approach will ensure inclusivity for all, regardless of gender, ability, deprivation or ethnicity. Every student will encounter the same high quality learning experiences, both within the classroom and through a rich and varied extra-curricular programme. This programme will seek to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding of an academic, social and cultural curriculum, which prepares them to be outstanding leaders, ready to take up the challenges and opportunities of the world outside of school, a vision which captures our commitment to the local community.
The school will develop its uniform code and many of its policies in consultation with stakeholders, including staff, parents and students. Given the diversity of the local community, this will be sensitively managed balancing the need for inclusivity with the needs of the community as a whole. The uniform code will clearly define what is acceptable with regard to items of religious dress, considering carefully the demands of school life and the need to ensure it identifies students as being part of a single, unified learning community.
The food provided in the canteen will meet the fullest range of dietary requirements and provision will also be made to ensure students are able to participate appropriately in daily acts of worship, such as Muslim prayer.
This commitment to inclusivity for all is central to ensuring that all students understand that individuals have the freedom to choose and hold other faiths and the right that their beliefs should be accepted by others around them. We will look for opportunities to celebrate the diversity of the school population through the academic and pastoral curriculum to enable students to learn about cultures, customs, beliefs and ideas that are different to their own. This is one of the most effective mechanisms for combatting prejudice in society as a whole.
The curriculum itself is based on the principle that all students achieve academic excellence and are able to access the most ambitious career paths so they are equipped to be productive citizens of a wider society. Inherent in this is the need to ensure that students experience a broad and balanced curriculum that will prepare them for life in modern Britain.