RESPECTING others and taking responsibility for their actions are as important to Hamworthy Middle School pupils as learning maths and English.

Thanks to the efforts of head teacher Karen Davies and her dedicated staff, the school has gone from strength to strength over the past half decade.

“The children are at the centre of everything,” said Mrs Davies. “We simply wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them and our job is to do the absolute best we can for them.”

Mrs Davies, now in her fifth year as head, believes strongly in installing a sense of rights and responsibilities in her pupils – something to stand them in good stead as they move through the education system.

Creative thought is also high on the agenda at this average-sized middle school.

The children even take an active role in helping their classmates, in the form of a class mentoring and mediation programme.

“My big mantra to pupils is that this is your school; you need to be proud of your school; you need to respect yourself and your school. The world these children are going into – who knows what it will be like?

“So we try to ensure they are creative and give them lots of opportunities to develop their creativity.”

Key subject areas are hugely important to staff at Hamworthy Middle. A number of parents told the Daily Echo how their children had flourished during maths and English lessons.

And after school activities have exploded in popularity in recent years.

Mrs Davies explained: “Over a period of four-and-a-half years, we’ve gone from no after-school clubs to 20 minimum every term.”

How does the school do this? Through the dedication and the free time of its staff.

And, as anyone in business knows, when your staff are happy to give up their free time, something must be going right at the workplace.

“The big thing for me is the team spirit,” said Mrs Davies. “We are really a very supportive team.

“I am really lucky because I have such hard-working teachers, and they work hard for all the right reasons.

“They’re not looking for notches on their belts for the next job, they are genuinely passionate about children and their learning. I have some outstanding teachers.”

Parents are as important to the Hamworthy Middle School community as teachers and pupils.

The school has children with a wide range of needs, many with autistic spectrum disorders of some description. So family support is paramount.