The school Mission statement -  Learning our faith, living our faith, loving our faith:

“is embedded in every aspect of the school. It is understood by pupils and lived daily by all members of the school community.” 

Section 48 Inspection May 2022

 

 

 

 

                                                                       

 SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

St Michael and St Martin school follows the teaching of the Catholic Church in its daily life through the celebration of the liturgy and through following the values taught in the Gospel of Jesus by:

         LEARNING OUR FAITH
         LIVING OUR FAITH
         LOVING OUR FAITH

The School recognises the dignity of every human person because s/he is a child of God and fosters an awareness of the world's poor. Equality of opportunity for every person is paramount and precludes all forms of discrimination on grounds of colour, gender, race, social class or ability. The School's aim is to nurture the spiritual, intellectual and physical growth of each pupil through a holistic approach which takes due note of the needs of every child while, at the same time, striving for excellence in all aspects of education in a secure environment.

Catholic Ethos

St Michael & St Martin Catholic Primary School – Our Mission

At St Michael & St Martin Catholic Primary School, we prepare our children to be saints: the people God created them to be. We do this by providing an outstanding education and a wealth of opportunities and experiences that enable every child to grow into a good, happy person and to experience the “fullness of life” (John 10:10).

Inspired by Christian values, we provide a loving and secure environment in which every child is known, valued and supported. Our curriculum is designed to meet the needs of all individuals and to prepare them for life in an ever-changing world, both today and tomorrow.

Religious Education lies at the heart of our curriculum. As a Catholic school, we dedicate 10% of curriculum time to the teaching of Religious Education, in addition to daily prayer, collective worship, liturgies and class prayer. Through this, pupils deepen their relationship with God, develop an understanding of the Catholic faith and life, and reflect on how faith influences their daily choices. Alongside Catholic teaching, pupils also learn about Sikhism, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism, fostering respect and understanding for all members of our diverse society.

The Catholic Life of the school is enriched with whole school attendance at special Masses and Liturgies to celebrate key events of the liturgical year and children from different year groups take it in turn to prepare the readings and lead the Mass. All children from Y2–6 have the opportunity to prepare and lead a class mass, as well as take part in an examination of conscience and meditation during the year. Year 3 prepare and lead a Thanksgiving Mass in the term following their First Holy Communion. Children in KS1 and EYFS have the chance to take part in a Sorry Service during Lent. Junior children take part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation twice a year during Advent and Lent.

We make time each day to come together in collective worship to give thanks to God for all that is good in our school. We teach children about prayer and give them opportunities for prayer several times throughout the school day as well as the chance to work in groups to prepare and lead a weekly collective worship in their classes.

The Deputy Head Teacher oversees a weekly Gospel assembly where children volunteer to prepare and share the Gospel with the school. All class assemblies have a strong religious focus and are shared with parents as well as the school community. St Michael & St Martin Catholic Primary School is a welcoming school at the heart of the wider community. We enjoy strong links with our parish church, which our children visit regularly. Pupils are encouraged to live out their faith through service, charity and care for God’s world. Our Chaplaincy Team supports local and global communities, and as a school we actively fundraise for charities such as CAFOD, Macmillan Cancer Support, The Passage and other local causes. The school is supported by our Parish Priest, Fr Damian, along with the resident priests in the Parish.

We place great importance on relationships, helping our children to develop essential knowledge, skills and values that support positive, caring and loving interactions with others. We want our learners not only to succeed, but to love learning itself.

Children also take part in wider initiatives, helping to address climate change by supporting tree planting across Europe and beyond. Through this work, pupils learn responsibility, stewardship and respect for all creation.

Our aim is that children leave St Michael & St Martin Catholic Primary School as resilient, respectful, confident, thoughtful and independent young people, ready for the next stage of their journey and prepared to live fulfilled lives in the presence of God.

“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
Proverbs 22:6.