Ethos, Values and Equality

The mission of St John's School is to educate each child entrusted to our care to their full potential.

to sustain and develop the love and practice of our Catholic Faith.
to demonstrate the presence of Christ in the Community

In order to educate children entrusted to our care to their full potential we will

offer a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum within a Catholic context, meeting the needs of all learners
promote the development and well-being of each child equally assess the strengths and needs of each individual, creating personalised learning opportunities for all
promote high expectations of the children in all aspects of school life
provide a stimulating and well-resourced learning environment
offer and signpost to a range of extra-curricular activities
offer all children equal access to facilities and activities
encourage the development of lively minds and independence
help children to gain confidence and a sense of self-worth
enable children to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding relevant to adult life and
employment in a fast-changing world, providing firm foundations for the next phase of their
learning

In order to sustain and develop the love and practice of our Catholic Faith we will

have our Catholic values and purpose permeating all aspects of school life teach and foster the beliefs, traditions and practices of the Catholic Church
play a full part in preparing our children for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Communion, in conjunction with the home and parish communities
provide a wide range of opportunities to develop the prayer life of the school and individuals
help children to develop spiritually towards a living and mature faith
value each other's talents
organise Eucharistic liturgies for and with children appropriate to their age

In order to demonstrate the Presence of Christ in the Community we will

demonstrate Christian values in all our words and actions
encourage a sense of caring and respect for all
welcome every one who enters our school
develop in everyone a responsible attitude to our environment and the world
encourage the professional development of all who work herefoster links with the parishes, other schools and the wider community
encourage all to make a positive contribution to society
encourage all to strive for social justice and peace

Promoting British Values

As a Catholic School we actively promote values, virtues and ethics that shape our pupils character and moral perspective, through the teachings of the Church.

We are confident that our continued focus on the Gospel Values will give our pupils the necessary awareness of what it means to be a good citizen in Britain today, and embed in them the building blocks of a future successful and productive life.
At St John’s Catholic Primary School we believe in celebrating the increasingly diverse cultural backgrounds of our community whilst also promoting and holding true to what we recognise to be British Values. Democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths are taught explicitly through assemblies, PSHE, Citizenship and RE curriculum. It also permeates all aspects of the curriculum.

Equality

The basic equality between all human beings has always been fundamental to Catholic belief and teaching.

St John’s Catholic Primary School acknowledges and welcomes diversity among pupils, staff, governors and visitors. The staff and governors are committed to promoting equality by tackling the barriers, which could lead to unequal outcomes so that there is equality of access and the diversity within the school community. We believe that equality at our school should permeate all aspects of school life and is the responsibility of every member of the school and wider community.

Every member of the school community should feel safe, secure, valued and of equal worth. At St John’s equality is a key principle for treating all people the same, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, disability, religious beliefs/faith tradition, sexual orientation, age or any other of the protected characteristics (Single Equalities Act 2010). We promote the principles of fairness and justice for all through the education that we provide in our school.

Our Objectives

At St John’s Catholic Primary we achieve equality for all through:

Developing respect for others through an appreciation of God’s presence in every human being.
Ensuring that every child benefits from a well-balanced curriculum delivered with commitment and enthusiasm which promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development with particular reference to issues of equality and diversity
Ensuring that a secure, safe and fair environment exists in which children including in particular, those with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act, 2010, may develop self – esteem and sense of purpose, in order that their strengths be fully realised and are in consequence more likely to make at least good progress.