We visit the Shrewsbury school where teachers dress up as animals helping children learn 'The Woodfield Way'
There aren't many schools where staff regularly don animal costumes for assembly - but at Woodfield Infant School and Nursery, it's all part of a powerful message.
The school's ethos, known as 'The Woodfield Way', encourages everyone to be kind, responsible and hardworking - or as the pupils proudly recite: "Happily learning together. Be kind, be responsible, be hardworking. This is the Woodfield Way!"
Headteacher Beck Preece, who has led the school for five years and been part of the team for more than 27, said the motto underpins everything they do.
"The children know the motto inside out, we bring everything that we do back to it and the Woodfield way," she said.
But, to help children understand key learning behaviours, the school has created its very own 'learning jungle' - a cast of animal characters representing different learning powers.
There's Emily the Elephant for concentration, Albert the Armadillo for resilience, Kelly the Koala for curiosity, the Monkeys for continuous improvement, and Sadie the Squirrel for cooperation.
These characters come to life in assemblies, with staff dressing up to make it more fun and memorable.
Mrs Preece added: "We have adult costumes for our jungle characters which quite often feature in our assemblies. The children are used to seeing them every day, bringing the learning values and powers to life.
"For us, it is about our personal development of the children, giving them as many varied opportunities as we can, and celebrating everything that they do."
Earlier this year, Woodfield was rated 'Outstanding' across the board by Ofsted, which praised its "highly inclusive and welcoming" environment and its efforts to teach children about local heritage - including the life of Charles Darwin.
The sense of community also runs deep. The school works closely with St George's Junior School, and together they hold an annual Remembrance event to honour those who served and sacrificed.
Asked what she loves about the school, Mrs Preece said: "The team of people, the staff, children, parents, the whole community. Everything we do, we refer to it as the 'Woodfield team', and that is an ethos and feel that you get in the school.
"I started in 1997 as a newly qualified teacher and I haven't left, I am still here. It goes back to the whole team thing, we have another member of staff here who came to Woodfield herself as a child and is now teaching.
"Once you start here, you don't leave. It has to come with a bit of a health warning."
Mrs Preece gave a special mention to caretaker Mike Morphett who she described as "part of the furniture."
"He is amazing," she added. "Mike is out on the gate every day meeting and greeting pupils. There is no job too big or small for him.
"It might be 'Mike I have got an idea', and next minute that is turned into something magical for the children.
"There is nothing he cannot do with a wooden pallet. He has made a red London bus for example for the Early Years. Mike is Woodfield."
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.