I am privileged and honoured to have been entrusted by the Governors to lead Summerhill School. We have wonderful students, caring and supportive parents and a great team of staff, who will always go the extra mile to support our students’ development. We have modern, well-equipped facilities and are located within beautiful countryside.
We believe that a true community school is both a ‘place’ and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on relationships, young people’s growth, family support, social action and community development leads to improved student learning, stronger families and healthier communities. Our combined effort first and foremost, must be to help young people achieve their potential and go on to make a successful contribution to the world.
Our ethos is “Success through Caring” and we aim to live this out in all aspects of school life. We look after each other, we look out for each other and we are courteous in the way we interact with each other.
The ethos is underpinned by the following four attributes
Courage – doing what is right; being truthful; trying new experiences; taking risks in the pursuit of personal development
Ambition – having the highest aspirations and expectations of ourselves and others; being brilliant in all we do and having a belief that anything is possible with the right attitude and hard work
Respect – thinking about the way we interact with others; being considerate to ourselves, others and the environment; responding to expectations and working together in teams
Effort – investing time and energy to achieve success; always giving 100% in everything we do and demonstrating resilience when things are tough
Our House system is absolutely central to school life. It provides nurturing, challenge, teamwork, and fun for all members of our school, building upon a foundation of supportive relationships, family and British values within a global society. Mature and mutually respectful relationships characterise our community and we strive for excellence in every way as we develop young people in partnership with parents and the wider community.
We have the highest of expectations in all aspects of school life, which are underpinned by honesty, integrity and transparency in the way we do things. We have a smart, fun and colourful school uniform which helps our students to look smart, feel proud and celebrate their house allegiances. House competitions are strongly contested, with a lovely blend of respect, cooperation and friendly rivalry.
We want Summerhill to be the first choice for prospective parents, a place where everyone wants to work, a place where students truly excel and most importantly, an institution which is truly the centrepoint of the community it serves.
Tours of the school can be arranged at any time throughout the year for parents who are hoping to be able to secure a place for their child, and for any staff interested in joining our special team. Please contact info@summerhill.dudley.sch.uk and we will be happy to organise a date and time that is convenient for you.
I am very proud to be part of Summerhill and look forward to meeting you. Come and see us in action, the door is always open!
