When parents choose a school, one of the determining factors is the school culture and environment. A school with a positive culture and environment will always win favour with parents.
Parents know that a positive school environment will positively impact their child’s growth and development instead of negative school culture. Building a positive school culture starts with creating a set of values.
“Values, in general, contribute to who we are, how we conduct ourselves and how we interact with other individuals,” explains SPARK Schools Regional manager, Nkazimulo Zitha.
Value plays a vital role in developing a school culture that ensures that everyone feels a sense of belonging.
Values also influence the way scholars behave towards their teachers, peers and their community. Therefore everyone should demonstrate the values set by their school; this includes teachers, leaders and parents.
For example, SPARK Schools has five core values: Service, Persistence, Achievement, Responsibility and Kindness, and these values are shared with our scholars from the first day they join our school. Our teachers and leaders also model these values in interacting with each other, parents and scholars.
“At school, the values are a reminder for scholars that as they develop in their academic journey, it is also important to build their character,” says Zitha.
Zitha explains that values such as Responsibility encourage scholars to be responsible for their learning. This means scholars can set realistic goals for themselves and take ownership of their school work without constantly being reminded.
SPARK Rosslyn Hub Principal Ziphindile Mbiza concurs that setting goals from a young age helps children make better decisions and stay motivated to achieve their goals.
Without values, schools can’t build a positive culture. With a positive school culture being one of the top considerations when choosing a school for parents, every school strives to develop a strong culture that allows scholars to thrive. To learn more about SPARK Schools, click here.
