Our ethos and values

At St Catherine’s we strive to provide a caring, positive environment in which all members of the school community, irrespective of age, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender or disability are encouraged and expected to respect one another.

Our Vision - Let your light shine

We aim to develop independent children who are equipped for the world they are living in, prepared for the challenges of the future and who strive for excellence in all they do.
We seek to nurture children who appreciate the richness, diversity and potential of the world beyond their own, including their responsibilities within it.
We are committed to ensuring children master secure knowledge and understanding across the curriculum, having the skills to apply and express their understanding.
We continue to provide opportunities for children to take risks, explore and have the courage to follow their curiosity, helping them to discover their own voice and identity.
We look forward to preserving and developing our religious character in partnership with the church and the diocese, encouraging children to explore their own beliefs and living according to our Christian values of Love, Forgiveness, Respect, Hope, Trust and Courage.
In partnership, to live, learn and grow in independence and in faith through hope in our future

We believe that every child can flourish and shine. We recognise that we are all special and have unique talents, which we nurture so that each of us can be our best. We want to equip children with the essential skills and values needed to become independent, responsible citizens with high aspirations, who seek to discover their voice and their place in society and use their light to make a difference throughout school, at home, in the local community and the wider world. We look forward to preserving and developing our religious character in partnership with the church and the diocese, encouraging children to explore their own beliefs and living according to our Christian values.
In partnership, to live, learn and grow in independence and in faith through hope in our future

Linked bible verse

“You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bowl; instead he puts it on a stand where it gives light for everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.”

(Matthew 5; 14-16)

British values

The DfE have said that there is a need

‘To create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of; democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs’

At St Catherine’s these values will be upheld, promoted and reinforced in a variety of ways.

Democracy

There are opportunities for democracy across the school and children are invited to vote for different outcomes and representatives such as our Sports and House Captains. Our participation in the Smart School Council involves every child in the school. Children have their voices heard through half term class council meetings and a communication team are elected to communicate ideas and progress. Regular ‘stakeholder voice’ activities such as pupil voice, surveys, questionnaires or interviews with senior staff and governors are embedded.

The Rule of Law

The importance of laws (or rules) are constantly referred to throughout the school day here at St. Catherine’s. We strive to follow the School Rules of Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Safe and we discuss what these mean in various situation, such as playtimes. Our home school agreement lists the responsibilities for children, parents and carers and school staff and we expect all of our school community to adhere to these.

Individual Liberty

The pupils at our school are encouraged to make choices; in their work, the level of challenge they undertake, activities and after school clubs. We are keen to promote their independence and so provide opportunities for the children to discuss and choose options. Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their personal freedoms and to use these safely, for example through PSHE lessons, e-safety sessions and protective behaviour sessions.

Mutual Respect

Here at St. Catherine’s we embrace and promote Christian values throughout the school. Our Christian values of Love, Forgiveness, Respect, Hope, Trust and Courage are taught, modelled and used as a basis of all our policies.

Tolerance of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Though we are a Church school, we welcome families of all faiths or none. We encourage families to share their cultures and beliefs with us and through RE lessons and collective worship learn about a variety of faiths. Children at our school have opportunities to visit different places of worship, hear from different faith leaders and learn about key religious celebrations.

Throughout the year we have assemblies that tackle issues such as; bullying-including cyberbullying and prejudice. We take part in county wide initiatives such as Anti Bullying Week.