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.

Aim High

In Life

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

In Learning

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

With God

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

Together

In partnership, to live, learn and grow in independence and in faith through hope in our future

 

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. Each class creates their own set of ‘rules’ for the year based on the behaviours that they believe are important to them. All children follow the Golden Rules and every parent, child, teacher and head teacher signs the Home-School Agreement.

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. Each term we focus on two values;

Justice/Trust – Service/Forgiveness – Care for Creation/Thankfulness – Friendship/Compassion – Hope/Peace – Humility/Courage

All of our school’s rules are based on respect for each other and these high expectations are promoted by all staff.

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.

Our Values