00:00So we're here at Hadley Learning Community Primary School and we're with Headteacher. Introduce yourself, sir.
00:05I'm Ben Evans. I'm the Headteacher at HLC Primary. I have been for two years now. I've been at the school for five years.
00:12And tell us what's special about your school then. Go on, sell it to us.
00:17I always say at our school, the best thing is the children. I'm sure lots of schools would give the same answer, but I genuinely mean that.
00:24I've got communities in our school name and I'm really passionate that that's not just, you know, above the door.
00:31It's what we live by. Video images to do over the year.
00:34For our children and I want everything for our community, but I see that both ways.
00:38I want HLC Primary to improve its surroundings, but I want our community to improve us as a school as well.
00:45So it's a real collaborative offer I see between school and families as far as I'm concerned.
00:51And every staff member who comes in here buys into that.
00:54And that's, I think, makes a real special formula when we put those together.
00:59And there's a big push on your sports and you've got your own pool here.
01:03You've got an AstroTurf site.
01:06And the girls have just, they're excelling, aren't they? You've just took them on a special trip as well.
01:10Yeah, we're really fortunate with our sports offer.
01:12Obviously, we've got an amazing site here at HLC.
01:15As you say, we've got our own swimming pool.
01:17We've got an AstroTurf sports field.
01:19Girls' sport is something that's exploded the last two years.
01:22I think what we saw from the Lionesses, the Olympics, all the way back to 2012, really, prior to the school being built, has led to where we are now.
01:30We took our Year 5 and 6 girls to Edgbaston in Birmingham yesterday to go and see the women play in a T20 match.
01:37And, you know, the passion that we see from our girls is something that, you know, is really infectious.
01:43And those children now in Year 5 or 6 are really inspirations themselves for children all the way down to reception.
01:49So, as I say, it goes back to what I'm saying about the staff being the inspirations.
01:54But really, the children, the community are inspiring.
01:56So this is your vending machine.
01:58So, Emanuella, what are you pointing at?
02:00Which book are you looking at?
02:01The 91-storey treehouse.
02:04Ah, cool.
02:05So show us the little coin that you have to use as a credit then.
02:095p.
02:10Aha.
02:11And how do you get your credits?
02:12Is it like a little reward for doing good stuff?
02:15Yes.
02:15Great stuff.
02:16So what book would you go for then if you're picking one out of there, young lady?
02:21I can see a rolled doll.
02:22That looks kind of cool.
02:24Escape the Ring.
02:26Which one?
02:27Escape the Ring.
02:28Aha.
02:28Is that a good book?
02:29Now, I can see a lot of children in uniform, but I'm seeing the odd child in grey jumpers.
02:34What's that all about?
02:35So, we live by our values at HLC through belong, respect, inspire, succeed and enjoy.
02:42And what we've noticed is we've got groups of children who really embody each of those values.
02:47And when they get to year six, they're class teachers.
02:51Go on, have a look in the pan.
02:52Go on, grab something out of there.
02:53We've got HLC champions.
02:55That's it?
02:55Cool.
02:56Give it a stir.
02:56What's in the pan?
02:57Everything that we want an HLC child to be.
03:00And when they walk around school in their grey special cardigans or jumpers, people know
03:05that they can be seen as responsible children to aspire towards.
03:08So, it's all well and good seeing me in my office, you know, thinking, oh, I want to
03:12be like Mr. Evans.
03:13But no, I'd rather see those peers as inspirations.
03:16And that's really what they are.
03:17And did my eyes deceive me or did I see a vending machine full of books?
03:21Not cans of pop, books.
03:22No, we do, we do.
03:24Reading is at the heart of everything we do at HLC.
03:27I think being able to access reading from an early age really improves life chances throughout
03:33a student's life.
03:35So, to promote reading at every opportunity we've got is something that we'd love to do.
03:38And having a reading vending machine full of books from a range of authors from different
03:43backgrounds is something that, you know, we're proud to have.
03:46And children will often come with work that they've done that they're extremely proud of
03:50or, you know, just their behaviour around the school means that they can get a token,
03:54go to the vending machine and get themselves an amazing book to take home.
03:57It's putting books into the hands of children, which is what we want to do.
04:00Now, you mentioned tokens.
04:02What's this about dojo tokens and rewards?
04:05Yeah, so we use dojos as a form of reward.
04:07You know, children, when they embody our values, they'll be told, well done, fantastic display
04:12of respect there, have a dojo.
04:14And we don't want them to be seen as a throwaway remark.
04:17It's something that children can put value to.
04:19So, we've got an amazing dojo shop full of wonderful prizes that children can choose from
04:24and spend their dojos on, which obviously is great for them to take something home that
04:28they can show physically what they've earned.
04:31But also, it teaches them a bit of responsibility about their finances and children can choose
04:35to save their dojos.
04:36So, at the end of the year, we might have some larger rewards, like having a cinema afternoon
04:40or spending lunch with their favourite teachers.
04:43So, it's really building that whole personal development approach as well.
04:48Show that plant to Freya.
04:49And it's a beautiful site, isn't it, really?
04:51And great facilities outdoors, especially for the youngsters there.
04:55Yeah, it's fantastic, I think.
04:57And it goes beyond the school doors as well.
04:58It's a seven days a week community hub.
05:01And I think the school is at the heart of Hadley.
05:06And the idea is that it should be accessed by our community.
05:09So, we do, we see children return in the evening for their swimming lessons.
05:13Or we have martial arts, chin woo, people hiring out the AstroTurf football games.
05:19So, it's something that the whole community can be proud of.
05:22Well, thank you, sir.
05:23We'll tag along and we'll meet a few of these pupils.
05:26Thank you, sir.
05:27So, we're here with some pupils.
05:29And we've got, what's your names?
05:30I'm Bethany and I'm nine years old.
05:32Cool.
05:33Mine's Zenae, I'm seven years old.
05:35And?
05:35I'm Blanka and I'm eight years old.
05:38And I'm Leanna, I'm eight years old.
05:40Cool.
05:41So, this is like a little, it's what I see at the fairground or when I go on holiday,
05:45when you win points in the amusements.
05:48So, what do you have to do, what are they called?
05:50Is it dojos?
05:50Yeah, it's a dojo.
05:52Dojos.
05:52So, what do you have to do to get a dojo?
05:55Well, we have to behave at school properly.
05:57So, that when your teacher gives you a dojo.
06:04Yeah, and then you can, what, so if you've been good?
06:07Yeah, I've been getting toys.
06:09So, have you had lots of dojos in the past?
06:12Yeah.
06:12Is that one of the toys you've had?
06:14No, it's something that you could win.
06:16Like, you could get these puzzles or over there there's some toys like this you can win.
06:21Great stuff.
06:21And then you can also get dojos for attendance.
06:24Okay, good stuff.
06:25And what other sort of stuff do you like about school?
06:27What about you, Leon, at the back?
06:28What do you like about school here?
06:30I like about school because our teachers are very kind and they learn us really nice.
06:35That's a nice thing to say.
06:36And what about you, Zena?
06:37I love my classmates and I love, like, I respect them and my teachers.
06:46That's lovely.
06:47Blanca, what about you?
06:47Have you got a favourite lesson, Blanca?
06:49Yes, I think art is my favourite lesson because I love painting and I usually do it at home.
06:57Oh, great stuff.
06:57And what about you?
06:58What do you like here?
06:59I like everything.
07:00I really like our values as well.
07:02They're, like, what we represent as a school.
07:05They belong, respect, inspire, succeed and enjoy.
07:09So, like, they keep everyone in line but, like, not in a rude way or anything.
07:14Yeah, yeah.
07:15Just, like, they're a good reminder.
07:16That sounds good.
07:17Well, well done, guys.
07:18And let's hope you get lots of dojo points in future.