The Aldermaston Tree
The Aldermaston Tree was the outcome of several months of work during which the governors considered ‘the construct of Aldermaston School’, and we don’t mean the bricks and mortar, delightful though our building is! We wanted to create a single image of what Aldermaston is really all about.
Having created our Vision through the development of our School Motto, Aims, Christian Values and Ethos, we wanted to create something that would bring it all together. As Aldermaston is recognised as the origin of the William’s Pear, grown from a tree by an earlier master of the School in the 18th century, and as we already had such a large model of the tree in our school grounds, we felt that a tree would be a fitting symbol. As a small rural school, we recognise the importance of trees to the environment, and have already incorporated the pear tree into the school crest.
So how did our tree ‘grow’? The foundations of Aldermaston (the roots) are firmly established within our Christian Values. From this solid base evolves our Ethos which begins to form the core of our culture (the trunk). Bringing the physical element to the trunk we have those involved in delivering and supporting our Vision – the Governors, the Parents and the Staff. Where our trunk then begins to branch out sits our most important element – the Pupils. With the full support of the trunk and roots, the focus is then on achievement and involvement – ensuring pupils achieve Academic Excellence, have every opportunity for Personal Development, and take part in Community Engagement to acquire a strong sense of their place in society. All of this is intertwined with the delivery of highly effective Leadership & Management and a high Quality of Teaching that permeates throughout the school and helps deliver the Vision.
From all this we see our Pupils grow and become extremely familiar with our 3 School Aims. These have now become engrained in everything we do, showing that Aldermaston develops people who are compassionate, show respect for self and others, and continually strive for their best.
Just as a tree continues to grow, so our Vision and the strategies to achieve it will continue to evolve. Our commitment as Governors is to remain agile and responsive to the continually changing educational environment and provide the support and challenge to the Headteacher and staff to ensure that Aldermaston continues to promote high standards of educational achievement and personal development for our pupils, your children.
