St Mary's Catholic School Statement of Mission (that we share with our Primary Schools)

"One of the most basic ideas of what it means to be Catholic is that of Community. The highest expression of that sense of Community is the invitation to gather together on the Lord's Day to celebrate the Eucharist. This invitation is so profound that we say it carries an internal obligation. An obligation but not compulsion. We need to come together to express our unity with Jesus the Christ and with one another. A real community, not simply a collection of individuals. This very basic idea underpins everything we stand for and it lies at the heart of what it means to be a Catholic School. We are called to be a Community. Gathered together in the name of Jesus the Christ to foster and develop the fullest potential of all who form our community here at St Mary's. We are committed to bringing out the very best in each and every member of our school community. This commitment is rooted in the firm belief that we discover what it means to be fully human and fully alive in the person of Jesus of Nazareth. This is what we mean by the Catholic Dimension of Catholic Education."

"We value all in the name of Jesus the Christ"

From this the following flows as day follows night. All held within the overall invitation to gather together as a Community. In the name of Jesus the Christ:

We Believe:
Everyone has the right to have their dignity respected, their worth valued and to become fully human and fully alive. (These rights are rooted in the belief that we are created in the image and likeness of God.)

We Hope:
Our hope is that all who come into contact with our schools will be inspired to:

• Grow spiritually, act justly, think critically, work cooperatively as life long learners, confident in the knowledge of God's love for them.

We Commit:
We Commit ourselves, through the Catholic Dimension of our schools:

• to develop the children's spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical well being;
• to treat all people with justice, respect and equality, as Children of God;
• to encourage, as Children of God, a spirit of community and cooperation based on Gospel Values, embracing Forgiveness and Reconciliation in all our relationships.

Living the Mission

Education is the key to a more caring society. Whilst it is a life long process, formal education is the most important part. This should be a partnership. The key relationship is that between student and teacher but formal education should be a partnership that includes parents, school governors, the parishes, industry and the wider community.

The starting point for the partnership must be to recognise that all children are born in God's image and therefore have inherent worth. This means that we must not accept that any child is less able than any other. We have to recognise their individual talents and develop them. As a partnership, we have a duty to praise success of any kind. Similarly, we must recognise weakness and failings. These must always be addressed in as positive a way as is possible. Students have a right to be recognised for who they may become not what we perceive them to be.

The school has many duties towards its students. We must honour each child's right to have their strengths assessed in each curriculum area. This should enable us to produce work programmes for them that will help them to improve. This must be done in a secure and caring environment providing the stability that young people need.

In a Catholic school, spiritual and moral development are key areas. Simply, we must find ways to develop the faith of each individual in the school community to the fullest extent that we can. Prayer, worship and liturgy, as real and educational experiences, will help in this. However, all knowledge is God given and we have a duty to develop students in all the curriculum areas. Our children have a right to a curriculum that has breadth, balance, relevance and is coherent. To prepare our students for adult life, they need to be developed intellectually, socially, culturally and physically.

If we do accept that we have a duty to develop our children for the experiences, responsibilities and opportunities they will later have then this has implications for the way they are taught now. We have a duty to ensure that our students are full participants in their own learning, including their assessment and in the setting of future targets. These things must not simply be done to them or for them. They should see their education as being enjoyable and being about positive experiences that they have helped to create.

As a school has a duty to listen to the voice of its students, all members of the partnership that makes up formal education must feel they have a real voice. Staff are a school's greatest resource. All are managers in their own right. The partnership and, in particular, the headteacher and governors have a duty to create the framework to allow all staff to contribute fully to a school's planning, development and operation. Open, participatory management should be practised whenever possible.

We aim to create a positive interaction between home, parish and the school for the benefit of our children. The partnership that is secondary education does, however, extend further than this. As a partnership we must reach out to and listen to the views of the whole community. The school must create a framework to allow this to happen.

Back to the Top

How can parents help?

Attendance:
We need you to ensure that your children attend school regularly. If it is necessary for your son or daughter to be absent from school you can help us by writing a letter to explain the absence.

Uniform:
You can help us by ensuring your child always wears full school uniform.

Homework:
You can help us by checking your child's Student Planner and signing it each week. You can also write comments in it to bring your views to our attention.

Parents' Evenings:
You can let us know what you think about your child's progress by attending these evenings.

Parent, Teacher and Friends' Association:
You can join us in our social / fund raising events or even join the committee which organises these.

European Trips:
You can accept the opportunities of travel abroad for your children to either France or to our partner school at St Hubert in Belgium.

Back to the Top