School Values

Our vision

We show God’s love in everything we do; inspired by the life and work of Jesus. We journey together in our learning, seeking wisdom through academic, personal and spiritual growth. Together is everyone, and every child matters. We celebrate the different and unique abilities, gifts and passions, of everyone in our school.

Our mission statement

We learn together, using our heads and our hearts to make the most of today and tomorrow, building on Christian values.

Our school values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, happy citizens.

Our School’s Christian Vision: Heads and Hearts

We learn together, using our heads and our hearts.

"Love one another as I have loved you." John 15.12

“I have come in order that you might have life, life in all its fullness.” John 10:10

OUR CHRISTIAN VISION AND VALUES

Who are we? Why are we here? How then shall we live?

As a Church of England School, rooted in Christian tradition and values, we believe that we are all made in the image of God, and loved by God. We show God’s love in everything we do; inspired by the life and work of Jesus. The value of ‘Love’ underpins what we do in school. We journey together in our learning, seeking wisdom through academic, personal and spiritual growth. Growth of the heart is equally as important to the growth of the ‘head’ at St. Catherine’s. Together is everyone, we don’t give up on any child, as every child matters. Together is celebrating different abilities, beliefs, gifts and passions, and accepting that we are all unique! Together is striving to ensure that everyone is enabled to flourish, and everyone achieves their best.

We love everybody – our people are as cherished and valued as our children. We offer love, forgiveness and friendship, there is always an opportunity for a new start. We believe that by working for the common good, and not simply our own good, we will make a difference, which will have a lasting benefit to ourselves, our community and the world – this drives our hopeful approach. This is not wishful thinking, but based on our trust in the loving purposes of God.

Our Christian Understanding of our key Values:

Love  

 "Love one another as I have loved you." John 15.12

 "Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant, or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. ⁷ It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 

1 Corinthians 13:

The Bible explicitly tells us that God is Love and that those who live in love live in God and God lives in them. Belief that God has revealed Himself to us as love is at the very heart of the Christian faith. We love because God first loved us. God’s love calls us to serve others freely, because they are made in the image of God. God’s love is a love without limits.

Wisdom

Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Matthew 7:24

Wisdom is insight into the way life works: a proper understanding of the consequences of our thoughts, words and actions and an awareness of the true value of things. It is rooted in proper reverence for God who is the source of all life and all values. Although related to education and knowledge, wisdom differs from cleverness. Wisdom may be best described as discernment gained through life experience and distilled into guiding principles. The wise person recognises their own limitations, trusts in God and understands that there is more to like than may be seen on the surface.

Forgiveness

Jesus said, “Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”  Luke 6 v 37

Paul says: ‘Be compassionate and kind to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ (Ephesians 4:32)

Forgiveness is fundamental to the character of God. Throughout the Bible, God is described as slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin (Numbers 14:18). Jesus was uncompromising in his command to forgive. Forgive, he said, ‘seventy times seven’ (Matthew 18:21). In other words, forgive and keep on forgiving without limit. Forgiveness was at the heart of everything he did and is at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer. When Jesus declared a person’s sins to be forgiven, it often aroused the anger of those who were less willing to forgive than he was and yet a prayer for the forgiveness of his persecutors was on Jesus’ lips as he died…We forgive because we are forgiven.

Friendship

 ‘A friend loves at all times.’ (Proverbs 17:17)

Friends are not afraid to tell each other the truth and a friend’s loving criticism is worth more than the empty compliments of someone who does not really care for you. (Proverbs 27:6)

 ‘If one falls down, a friend can lift him up’. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)

Jesus offered friendship to everyone, especially the friendless. He tells stories of the heavenly banquet to which all are invited. The barriers between people are broken down in a loving community around God and Jesus had stern words to say to those who refused to recognise that all are included in this community of friendship. Christians believe they can call God their friend because of the relationship made possible through Jesus.

Hope 

“My hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress,” Psalm 62

For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Christian hope is grounded in the character of God…is a hope rooted in the love and faithfulness of God. Hope is not wishful thinking but a firm assurance that God can be relied upon… there is underlying confidence that God is a ‘strong rock’ and one whose promises can be trusted... Christian hope for the future has its guarantee in the resurrection of Jesus. The prophets always spoke of a time to come when the whole world would be restored to God. For Christians, Jesus’ death and resurrection has set this in motion. Christian hope means trusting in the loving purposes of God: trusting that the foundations of the world are good because they spring from God. It means believing that, ultimately, we are destined to share in that goodness because of what Jesus has done. He had to pass through the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ but the victory has been won and our share in that victory is assured.

*Our Christian understanding for Wisdom, Forgiveness, Friendship and Hope is taken mainly from Christianvalues4schools.