At Our Lady’s, we believe that everyone is a member of God’s family.  Therefore, the fundamental aim of our community is to enable all children to fulfil their potential with Christ at the centre of all we do. This includes spiritual, moral, academic, emotional, social and creative development. We cater for each pupil’s needs, encouraging each to develop their talents and so achieve their personal goals. This enables our children to make a positive contribution to the wider community and following Gospel values, ensures that they are fully prepared for life in British society and for their role as citizens.

Our framework for understanding British values and what it means to live a good life is rooted within Catholic doctrine and practice, permeating every aspect of the school’s activity. We provide a Catholic curriculum, which is broad and balanced, recognising that every pupil is unique and created in the image of God (Gen 1:27). Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to discern their vocation and to be well equipped to follow it as active citizens in service to the World.

In our school, Catholic Religious Education is the “core of the core curriculum” (Pope St. John Paul II) and the foundation of the education we provide for pupils. We provide a wide range of extra-curriculum activities and strong pastoral support. We incorporate demonstrate principles, value the rule of law, support individual liberty and foster a community in which differences are identified, respected and celebrated.

Inclusion

To ensure everyone at our school in included, Our Lady’s – 

• Strives to achieve equality of opportunity for all, regardless of age, gender or ethnicity;
• Educates all about discrimination and prejudice, and promotes a harmonious environment;
• Aims for all pupils to achieve the highest possible standards in their learning and make good progress;
• Ensures that the appointment of staff is in line with equal opportunities legislation and that the Governing Body of the school reflects that of the wider community;
• Identifies barriers to learning and participation, and provides appropriate support to meet the needs of all stakeholders.

In line with our commitment to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty requirement to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations, our Governors and colleagues continually consider and analyse the impact of policies on equality and the possible implications for pupils with protected characteristics.