Our Vision
At Harper Bell Seventh-day Adventist School, our vision is to nurture every child to discover and develop their God-given talents, while raising aspirations so that all pupils are prepared to succeed in further education, employment and life beyond school.
We believe that every child can achieve highly when expectations are clear, learning is purposeful and character is intentionally developed. Our vision is rooted in academic ambition, moral purpose and a commitment to excellence for all.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide a high-quality, balanced education that develops the whole child – intellectually, spiritually, socially, emotionally, culturally and physically.
Guided by Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, we place God at the centre of school life as the source of truth, wisdom and moral value. Through an ambitious curriculum, strong pastoral care and high expectations for behaviour and learning, we prepare our pupils not only for academic success, but for a life of service, responsibility and lifelong learning.
Our Values
Our values underpin the culture of Harper Bell and guide how we live and learn together each day:
Love
We create a caring, respectful and inclusive community where every child is known, valued and supported. Love shapes our relationships, behaviour expectations and commitment to wellbeing.
Learning
We promote a culture of high expectations, curiosity and perseverance. Learning is ambitious, carefully sequenced and designed to build strong knowledge, understanding and long-term memory.
Laughter
We believe that joy, confidence and a sense of belonging are essential to success. Laughter reflects the positive relationships, enthusiasm and strong community that enable children to thrive.
The Mountain of Excellence
Our Mountain of Excellence provides a clear and shared framework for personal growth, learning and character development at Harper Bell. It helps pupils understand that success is a journey which requires effort, reflection and resilience.
The Mountain of Excellence explicitly supports the development of self-regulation and metacognition. Pupils are taught to:
- Understand how they learn best
- Set goals and monitor their own progress
- Reflect on mistakes and view challenge as an opportunity to grow
- Develop perseverance, independence and responsibility for their learning
By making learning behaviours and thinking processes visible, the Mountain of Excellence enables pupils to talk confidently about their learning, regulate their emotions and behaviour, and make positive choices both in and beyond the classroom.
This approach aligns closely with our values and our wider school improvement work, ensuring that pupils develop not only academically, but also as reflective, resilient and motivated learners with a strong sense of purpose.
The Mountain of Excellence
At Harper Bell Seventh-day Adventist School, the Mountain of Excellence is a shared framework that supports pupils to grow academically, personally and spiritually. It provides a clear structure for understanding how success is achieved through effort, reflection and perseverance.
The Mountain of Excellence helps pupils recognise that learning is a journey. Progress is not always immediate, but with the right mindset, guidance and support, every child can climb higher and achieve their potential.
Developing Self-Regulation
A key purpose of the Mountain of Excellence is to develop strong self-regulation skills. Pupils are taught how to manage their behaviour, emotions and learning choices so they can become calm, focused and responsible learners.
Through this framework, pupils learn to:
• Understand expectations for behaviour and learning
• Manage distractions and remain engaged in lessons
• Respond positively to challenge and setbacks
• Take responsibility for their actions and choices
This consistent approach supports a calm, purposeful learning environment where pupils feel safe, supported and ready to learn.
Supporting Metacognition
The Mountain of Excellence also plays a central role in developing metacognition – helping pupils to think about their thinking and understand how they learn best.
Across the school, pupils are encouraged to:
• Plan their learning and set clear goals
• Reflect on what has gone well and what needs improvement
• Use feedback effectively to improve their work
• Talk confidently about strategies that help them learn
By making learning processes explicit, pupils become more independent, reflective and resilient learners who are better prepared for future learning.
Linking Character and Learning
The Mountain of Excellence brings together our academic expectations with our Christian values. It reinforces perseverance, integrity, reflection and purpose, helping pupils to understand that excellence is about both achievement and character.
This framework supports our wider school improvement work by:
• Raising expectations for learning and behaviour
• Creating consistency across classrooms
• Strengthening pupil attitudes and engagement
• Preparing pupils for success in school and beyond
At Harper Bell, the Mountain of Excellence ensures that pupils are not only supported to achieve well academically, but are also equipped with the habits, mindset and character needed for lifelong learning and growth.
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Evidence of Impact on Pupil Learning
Ofsted - July 2019
Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very well supported. In their day-to-day learning, pupils develop a secure understanding of respect and why celebrating diversity is important.
Pupils are proud of their achievements. In music, for example, pupils are confident singing in front of different audiences. This helps them become confident in both their learning and when engaging with others.
Evidence of Impact on Pupil Learning
Section 48 - July 2022
The vision and associated values are deeply embedded and strongly grounded in biblical teaching and in Seventh-day Adventist principles. Under the skillful and effective leadership of the headteacher, ably supported by staff at all levels, and governors, they drive continued improvement and future development. They are intrinsic in enabling individuals to flourish within a happy and supportive environment.