The government set out its definition of ‘British values’ in the ‘Prevent Strategy’ (2011), which was designed to prevent the extremism and religious radicalization of young people. British values are considered by the present government to be democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. The promotion of ‘British values’ is central to Catholic education because British values have their origin in the Christian values of our nation.
This is a Catholic school, which seeks to live out the values of Jesus Christ. We reflect this aim in our Mission statement: We live and learn by journeying with Jesus for the greater glory of God. Catholic doctrine and practice therefore permeate every aspect of this school’s activity.
The school’s Golden Rules support all members of the community in promoting these values by word and deed.
Catholic Religious Education is the “core of the core curriculum” (Pope St John Paul II) and the foundation of the entire educational process. We provide a broad and balanced curriculum, recognising that every pupil is unique and created in the image of God (Gen1:27). Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to flourish academically, spiritually, emotionally and socially, discerning his or her own vocation in life. We support the development of future citizens who are concerned for the greater good of society – and are well prepared to make a positive contribution. We have worked hard to review and refresh our curriculum offer – and we will continue to find ways in which our Catholic values can permeate all subjects!
We provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities and pride ourselves on strong pastoral support. We incorporate democratic principles, value the rule of law, support individual liberty and foster a community in which different faiths and beliefs are respected.
Our Religious Education programme, ‘Come and See’, incorporates the study of other faiths; a week each term is set aside for in depth study of another faith system. We invite visitors into school to talk about their faith in order to further develop children’s understanding.
During worship, assemblies and in our classrooms, we explore and discuss themes, make links with our learning and explore moral messages. Love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34-35) encapsulates the important message to treat others as we would wish to be treated. Tolerance, forgiveness and respect are strongly promoted. We have a strong desire for all our pupils to be given the opportunity to live life to the full (John 10:10) and our approach seeks to bring this to fruition.
School Council projects enable pupils to shape school improvements and lead whole school activity, listening to the ideas of peers and representing them in meetings. Our current School Council is supporting our work towards achieving the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award (RRSA), which holds the UN convention of the rights of the child at its core. We are also embarking upon a project to establish a Trust-wide Pupil Parliament, which is an exciting development for our family of 25 schools.
Y6 pupils belong to one of six teams, promoting ways in which we can ‘live life to the full’ (John 10:10) and make a positive contribution to school life – and wider life! Our teams are as follows:
- Team 10:10
- Charity Champions
- Wellbeing Warriors
- Community Custodians
- Education Guardians
- Eco Defenders
In this way, the older pupils act as role models for younger children while exploring a range of issues and interests and further developing related life skills. Our pupils are able to see how they influence the building of the kingdom of God – creating through their action, thought and love the sort of world which is a better place for everyone.
Our positive behaviour strategies enable children to make decisions that benefit others – not just themselves. House Groups, the Special Friend buddy system, Golden Rules, Respect 30 time and our Restorative Approaches encourage children to further develop the communication and interpersonal skills which are essential to living a happy and fulfilling life not just in modern Britain but as a global citizens.
