St. Mary’s Vision 2022
Striving to be the best we can be
A school where Christ’s Gospel values are at the centre and children are at the heart of everything we do
Inclusive for all and valuing our local community and environment
Nurturing, safeguarding and cherishing our young people because
Together we grow and learn as a family every day.
Making learning exciting and fun and creating forever memories rooted in happiness
Achieving our ambitions by dreaming the unimaginable
Resilient, curious, independent learners with a Growth Mindset attitude
Yearning to make a difference in today and tomorrow’s world
Sending all our family members home with a smile.
Our Mission Statement captures our Catholic mission and helps to demonstrate how we aim to be a beacon for excellence in education. This information sets out how we will achieve this by focusing on the four elements of our statement. For each element we summarise what our mission is, what our strategic goals are and how we hope to achieve these.
The key guiding principle of our mission is that we do it ‘…in Jesus’ way’, which is our core value.
It is this that makes us unique and differentiates St Mary’s, as a Catholic school, from others in Horwich.
Our Values
“In Jesus’ way”
Our mission, and that of the Catholic Church, is guided by the eight blessings recounted by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount and recorded in the Gospel of Matthew; these are known as the Beatitudes;
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven”
Everything we do is grounded in the person of Jesus and his teachings. Our mission, therefore, is the driving force, the expression of all that we are and do, think and feel.
“We Care”
We Care and aim to develop a community based upon the Gospel values, in which the children feel happy, valued, secure and confident so that they can fully take part in the life of the school. Our first duty is to safeguard our children and we will do this through strict adherence to our safeguarding and child protection policy. We will strive to ensure that all pupils remain safe and free from harm and we are committed to playing a full and active part in the multi-agency response to child protection concerns.
The academic outcomes we expect for children entrusted to our care can only be achieved if we have an outstanding partnership with the parents and guardians of our children.
We will do this by;
- All parents will know throughout the time their children are with us what is expected from their children and what support they should offer.
- Recognising that our parents come from a range of backgrounds, we will provide Maths and English Workshops, so they are more able to support the children through homework.
- We will hold events such as New Intake Meetings, Parent Information Evenings and Parents’ evenings.
- We recognise that some children may not benefit from additional support at home and we will therefore plan interventions to ensure they acquire critical thinking skills, write accurately, speak articulately and discover their God-given talents and vocation.
All staff aim to deliver the best outcomes and experiences for the children entrusted to our care.
Our caring mission extends to all our staff, they should expect a safe and supportive working environment, typified by a friendly greeting in the morning, support at the end of the day and a collaborative approach to teaching as part of the school community.
We will do this by;
- Ensuring everyone is made to feel that they are a valued member of the school community.
- Encouraging staff to contribute to the school’s whole ethos whatever their own faith, background or views
- Taking each individual’s needs into consideration and showing compassion and giving support when needed.
Our volunteers set a real example to our children by demonstrating the gift of giving time to help others. Through volunteering, they support the teaching staff in delivering improved outcomes for our children.
Our caring mission is therefore to celebrate the role of our volunteers and make them feel welcomed as core members of the school’s family.
We will do this by;
- Increasing the number of volunteers we have every year.
- Ensuring the children at the school recognise the contribution of those who help them in their work.
- Offering training that would enhance their role in school.
- Inviting volunteers to liturgical, pastoral, safeguarding or seasonal events as part of the whole school community.
“We Pray”
We Pray that this is a school where children know God and get to meet Him every day. A place where children are involved and take part in teaching and learning which will encourage a sense of wonder and response to God’s gift of life and creation. A place where everyone feels fully involved in the opportunities provided for prayer, worship and liturgy. At St Mary’s, we love and thank God for our time together and worship Him daily. We strive to fully exploit every opportunity to develop, deepen and strengthen our relationship with God through our curriculum, worship and prayer.
We will do this by;
- The GIFT Team plans, promotes and organises the celebration of liturgies and co-operates with others in developing the school as a Christian community.
- Throughout the school year, we celebrate mass either in school or in church.
- Children walk to church for class masses in year groups and so the local community see us as a worshipping, practicing community.
- In each class there is a daily act of collective worship.
- Children plan and lead classroom worship every week.
- Children are given the opportunity to pray in assemblies, smaller groups in class and individually.
- Children know the traditional Catholic prayers and recite them reverently. Alternatively, periods of silent reflection allow pupils the opportunity for private devotion.
- Each class has an RE focus area which children use to support them in their prayer and reflections.
- During their prayer and worship opportunities children display very good listening skills that nurture their personal spiritual understanding.
- Displays around the school are linked to the liturgical year as well as reflecting the changing seasons. These displays enable children to think about, talk and listen to God and celebrate his wonderful creation.
- Class led assemblies provide children with the opportunity to share their thoughts and prayers with the whole school and lead the celebration themselves.
- Father Richard, St Mary’s Parish Priest, delivers the Sacramental Programme with teachers supporting his work. The parish, parents and families share each celebration with the children in church.
“We Work”
We Work to ensure that the curriculum provided for our children is broad and balanced so that they can grow in knowledge and understanding. We work to develop the skills which will enable all children throughout the ability range to achieve their full potential. We use a Growth Mind-set attitude to create resilient and curious learners. A Catholic school should, in its academic standards, be at least as good as other schools in the area. This goal is set in the Canon Law of the Church (Canon 806 §2). However St Mary’s goes further and requires that the school is “distinguished”.
At St Mary’s, we acknowledge this goal and welcome all children, regardless of background and capability, and invite them to become full, active participants in the faith life of the school, challenging them as individuals to achieve high academic outcomes.
We will do this by;
- Encouraging pupils to fulfil their potential.
- Aim to outperform all other primary schools in Horwich and Blackrod.
- Aim to perform in the top percentile of schools nationally.
- Valuing all children equally and giving them the same opportunities.
“We Play”
We Play in harmony. We see ourselves as a loving and happy community following Christ’s way and aim to promote all aspects of the physical and emotional well-being of each child.
We recognise that academic achievement is only part of a child’s development and that play forms a key role in learning and developing a rounded person. Our mission sets play at the heart of learning and aims to ensure that all children experience and enjoy play to the best of their ability.
Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity, and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength .Play is important to healthy brain development. It is through play that children at a very early age engage and interact in the world around them.
We will do this by;
- Providing the opportunity for all children to participate in sports fixtures with other schools, regardless of ability.
- Ensuring all pupils get access to both indoor and outdoor activities on a daily basis.
- Enhancing the classroom environment so pupils benefit from a stimulating environment.
- Ensuring learning is fun and memorable.
- Providing exciting and practical activities during the course of a project/series of lessons.
- Recognising that not all children learn at a desk.
- Using the 7C’s; Confidence, Curiosity, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Commitment, Craftsmanship when lesson planning.