At Epping Upland, we believe in looking at ‘the whole child’ and consider that social and emotional learning is as important as academic learning. As Headteacher, I have a fundamental belief that we should provide a safe, stimulating and happy learning environment. If we feel secure and happy, learning becomes a less daunting process.

A school should be a place where children not only feel physically safe, but emotionally safe. We should provide a learning environment which is positive and enthusiastic and one where any mistakes are seen as part of a constructive learning process. We are in an ever changing world and as a school, I believe we have a duty of care to ensure we provide our pupils with the knowledge that will empower them to move with the future challenges that will face them.

Learning is about so much more than test results and data. It is about searching for what we believe in, creating a thinking process, developing independence, confidence and self esteem, realising our strengths and becoming philosophical about what we need to develop. Learning is about finding strategies that will help us manage and cope with situations that we are presented with. Learning is about discovering life skills that will help us achieve in our work and our play.

At Epping Upland, our overall aim is to start a learning journey for our pupils, giving them the foundations they will need to follow the pathways that they choose for themselves in the future.