Values and Ethos
“Growing Together in Faith, Love and Learning” is our mission statement.
On their journey through our school, children will GROW TOGETHER, supported by a school community, to strengthen their FAITH; LOVE one another and LEARN to achieve excellence in everything they do.
The School Values and Ethos were formulated after consultation with all the teaching staff and teaching assistants and builds on a discussion paper produced by the Governing Board. It formulates practical ways of working to meet our Mission Statement, “Growing Together in Faith, Love and Learning”
We are a Catholic school who wish to help parents educate their children to appreciate the awe and majesty of God and His Creation, including respect for themselves and others as they recognise that all are made in God’s image. We will build a prayerful community who support each other on our Faith Journey by preparing for and sharing the Sacraments together.
We are determined to create an inclusive culture of learning where all children will be challenged in their thinking, to achieve to the best of their abilities and strive to become lifelong learners.
We will empower our children to become respected citizens to enable them to make valuable contributions locally, globally and to contribute to our world’s sustainable future.
This can be done most effectively when all staff, parents and children understand their responsibilities and work together towards the same goals, as detailed in our home/school agreement.
Our Values and Ethos will be achieved by meeting the following aims:
Promoting and achieving excellence
- High expectations and aspirations for our children’s social, behavioural and academic performance from the governors, the senior leadership team and all members of staff.
- Well planned, exciting and challenging teaching that develops lively, enquiring and open minds in our children.
- Creating stimulating and attractive learning environments in which our children can take a pride.
- Encourage and give the appropriate support that every child needs to reach their potential to ensure that every pupil achieves a high level of literacy, numeracy, expressive and social skills.
- Be independent thinkers/learners able to seek solutions creatively and co-operatively.
- Develop an ‘enquiring’ mind, the confidence to ask questions and be confident enough to take risks in our learning. Recognising the importance of outstanding teaching and learning. Actively encouraging creativity and innovation. Consistently high standards of behaviour and parental engagement.
Recognising the importance of outstanding teaching and learning
- Promoting and demonstrating our “I CAN DO ! “and a ‘no excuses culture’ to develop leaders of learning, create the reality and sustain high quality educational experiences and raise the self-esteem of all children enabling them to contribute positively to society and develop resilience.
- All staff working as a cohesive learning community to ensure all children to reach their potential.
- Fostering a calm, secure and purposeful working atmosphere that nurtures a positive esteem and self-image in all our children.
Actively encouraging creativity and innovation
- Giving opportunities for risk taking and the exploration of new knowledge and concepts, especially in the wider curriculum and through our WOW days.
- Bringing school staff and partners together to learn from each other, consider innovative practice and inspire future teaching and learning.
- To provide a relevant, enjoyable curriculum that meet the needs of all and in which children thrive.
Consistent high standards of behaviour and attendance
- Role modelled by all staff to shape the ethos and values of the school, support learning and promote achievement.
- Feel safe and valued as part of a caring community that celebrates success as we GROW TOGETHER IN FAITH, LOVE AND LEARNING.
- Provide every child with a strong Catholic moral framework to know right from wrong.
- Develop our own personal beliefs and values and the ability to listen to and respect the view of others.
- Encourage pupils to develop self – discipline, self – respect and self – confidence and be life long learners.
- Teach each child, by example, how to become an effective, responsible and tolerant member of the St Bernadette’s and Shevington communities.
- Value the partnership with parents sharing the responsibility for learning and personal development among teachers, parents and children.
