or call 020 7404 3400
or call 020 7404 3400
Or call 020 7404 3400
School aims and values may differ from school to school, but one thing remains constant: they matter. They help pupils understand the community they belong to, the principles that guide it and what is expected of everyone.
There are many ways to share and celebrate your school values. Some schools use bespoke Values Wall Art to bring them to life visually. Communal spaces are ideal for value displays, including reception areas, corridors, the school hall, canteen and outdoor spaces.
When pupils encounter the same language and ideas throughout the school, its values can become more familiar and meaningful.
In this article, we explain the difference between school aims and values, share practical ways to embed them and explore how other schools have used visual displays to strengthen identity and belonging.
School aims describe what a school wants its pupils and wider community to achieve. School values are the principles and behaviours that guide how the school works towards those aims.
Common school values include respect, responsibility, resilience, kindness, honesty, equality, ambition and curiosity. However, effective values should be more than a list of positive words. They should reflect the school’s individual identity and be connected to clear behaviours that pupils can recognise and practise.
When school aims and values are consistently reflected in teaching, routines, recognition, communications and the school environment, they can help establish shared expectations and a stronger sense of belonging.
Displaying your values works best when it supports the way they are already used throughout school life. Schools can make their values more meaningful by:
Through our work creating bespoke values displays for schools, we have seen that the strongest designs connect each value to recognisable behaviours, people, places or pupil contributions. This helps turn abstract principles into ideas pupils can understand and relate to.
Plumberow Primary Academy is located in Hockley, Essex. The school incorporated its values into colourful, eye-catching outdoor Wall Art, transforming a large fence into a branded welcome feature.
The design shows a diverse range of pupils happily learning. The school’s name and logo welcome visitors, while its aims and values appear against a colourful backdrop alongside the motto, “Find Your Remarkable”.
The mural demonstrates how school values can form part of a larger design. It creates a positive first impression for visitors, showcases the school’s identity and helps pupils see themselves represented within their environment.
St John and St James CE Primary School featured familiar London landmarks in its values display as a nod to its North London location.
The school’s six values are summarised in the motto, “Ready. Respectful. Responsible.” We also branded the design with the school’s colours and logo.
The finished Welcome Wall helps build a strong sense of identity and pride. It also provides an effective backdrop when welcoming prospective families on open days and greeting other visitors.
The project shows that a school does not need a large amount of wall space to communicate its values in a memorable way.
Catholic values form the basis of education at Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School. The school’s ethos centres on equality, justice, care and following the example and teachings of Jesus Christ, supported by the motto, “All Things for Christ”.
The school’s website reinforces the importance of their motto and values. It explains that; “the Cardinal Wisemen Catholic School believes in education for all. We aim to achieve this in a caring Catholic community based on the Gospel values of equality and justice. Our community seeks to follow the example and teaching of Jesus Christ to love God and help one another. We live by our motto: ‘All things for Christ’.”
We designed Values Wall Art to bring these principles to life. The display features well-known people who embody each value, alongside a short description and colourful symbol for easy identification.
The school chose to use half the vertical height of the wall to manage costs while retaining visual impact. The design draws the eye along the corridor, introduces colour and complements the existing space.
Downside Primary School involved its pupils when deciding how to represent and reflect its values. Pupils drew pictures for each value and submitted them as part of a school-wide competition.
The selected drawings were passed to Promote Your School’s design team, who developed them into the final Values Wall Art. The competition created a sense of ownership and added an enjoyable, collaborative element to the project.
Pupils can now see their school values represented against a calming sky backdrop. The images provide an accessible visual reference, particularly for younger pupils and learners who may find written information more difficult to process.
The display sits next to the front doors, so pupils and visitors are welcomed by the school’s values as soon as they arrive.
Our Lady and St Bede Catholic Academy found a creative way to connect its values with pupils’ sense of belonging.
The school linked each value to the qualities needed to succeed in sport, with every principle represented by a different activity. The resulting Sports Wall Art showcases the variety of sports available at the school while encouraging pupils to consider how determination, teamwork, respect and resilience apply both in sport and in wider school life.
We extended the design beyond the walls by creating Wall Art for doors and other surfaces. Directional arrows draw attention to the content and encourage pupils to follow and engage with the display as they move through the space.
School aims describe the outcomes a school wants to achieve. School values are the principles and behaviours that guide the school community towards those outcomes.
What are some examples of school values?
Common examples include respect, kindness, resilience, responsibility, honesty, equality, ambition and curiosity. The best values are specific to the school and meaningful to its pupils, staff and wider community.
Schools can reinforce their values through teaching, assemblies, routines, behaviour expectations, recognition, pupil involvement, communications and visual displays throughout the school environment.
At Promote Your School, we create bespoke Wall Art for schools around the world. Our consultative service includes design, print and installation.
We will guide you through the design process to create a display that reflects your school’s identity, communicates its values clearly and makes the best use of the available space and budget.
Get in touch to arrange a free, no-obligation consultation.
We’ll visit your school to understand your goals, explain our process and provide you with a no-obligation quote.
