ABSTRACT
All teachers are expected to uphold the values of their profession, and this is expressed in England, e.g. in the Professional Code of the General Teaching Council for England <https://www.gtce.org.uk>;, and in the Standards for the Award of Qualified Teacher Status, S1.1-8 (DfES/TTA, 2002). Schools also uphold certain values and express these in their policies and practices. They may though differ very much from each other in the way they are managed and organized and in the behaviour, attitudes and priorities of the pupils and staff. Research shows that these differences are important to the individual teacher’s ability to thrive and develop in school (Totterdell et al., 2002; Heilbronn et al., 2002) and to the pupils’ expressions of respect for one another and their socially responsible behaviour in the classroom (Hansen, 1995). Many of the differences can be seen to stem from the values held by the governors and headteacher of the school, which determine what the school promotes as desirable behaviour for all. Ethos can be expressed in the way parents are welcomed into the school; or the relationship of teacher to pupil outside as well as inside the classroom; or staff sensitivity to cultural and faith differences in the school; or how it celebrates the success of its pupils. Philip Jackson (1968) identifies what he calls ‘the hidden curriculum’: the general social climate of the classroom; the rules, structure, and sanctions which embody the values a school upholds implicitly and nurtures in all its dealings with young people. The ethos of a school contributes as much to values education as does the prescribed curriculum of subjects.
