St Mary's Catholic Academy

Mission Statement

St. Mary’s Catholic College is a caring faith community.

"Our mission is to provide an outstanding whole-person education through which all are challenged to grow in wisdom, understanding, self-esteem and closeness to God."

The hallmarks of St. Mary’s are:

Catholic Caring Community Challenging

St. Mary’s is a Catholic school where prayer and reflection are woven into the fabric of the school’s life. The universal message of the Church and its call to new life encourages us to value every individual as precious in God’s sight. The distinctive education offered at the school includes the continuing development of morals and Christian values.

Respecting the uniqueness of each person is central to the caring nature of the school and a reflection of the Gospel message of love. A strong and supportive pastoral system continues to care for all and helps build people’s self-esteem.

The school strives to be a community where high quality and enriching relationships are built. Tolerance and the valuing of others are key points of daily life. We seek to manage every aspect of school life, with justice, for the common good of all.

We challenge all people to use their God-given gifts to achieve excellence and make significant progress in their learning. Opportunities exist for aesthetic, performing and creative talents to be nurtured.

“I have come that you may have life and have it to the full.”

OUR VISION

St. Mary’s Catholic College is a secure, caring community with a clear focus on learning.

The college’s distinctive curriculum seeks to provide the experiences that help create a community of enthusiastic and increasingly independent learners. The attainment of all students is a matter of pride, and good results across all ages and abilities reflect this enthusiasm. The college, designated a Mathematics and Computing Specialist College, aims to develop innovative and high quality teaching and learning across the curriculum. St. Mary’s Catholic College provides an extended and enriching curriculum. Using creative and innovative teaching styles, incorporating developing technologies, the college seeks to challenge and support all students to achieve their individual potential. We promote the use of Mathematics and ICT across our curriculum.

The college recognises the importance of working closely with parents and students, parishes and primary schools towards excellence. We strive to work in close partnership with our family of schools, with our local community and business sharing our specialist facilities and resources. By developing and disseminating good practice, especially in the teaching and learning of Mathematics and Computing, all learners will benefit.

There is a calm, tolerant and supportive atmosphere in which talents are developed and weaknesses understood. The Christian spirituality of the school is reflected in curriculum, liturgy, prayer and practice. These important aspects of our community nurture students on their unique journey of faith.

The governing body and college leaders promote a shared vision and common purpose. College development planning, self-review and evaluation translate this vision into a process of continuous improvement.

Structured programmes for all students, a caring pastoral system and excellent facilities ensure that St. Mary’s remains a popular choice. The college environment is pleasant and well maintained. Classrooms and specialist areas enhance learning. Effective displays throughout the buildings celebrate the range and vigour of all aspects of school life. This range and vigour is further seen in the full programme of extra-curricular activities that enrich our students’ lives and further enhance the reputation of the college.