Mission & Ethos
Mission & Ethos
Our Mission Statement
St. John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School inspires students, spiritually and educationally forming them through Faith, so that they will achieve their aspirations and contribute to their community.
Our VISION
Nothing in this universe moves faster than light. It goes in straight lines, moving unstoppably into the future, dazzling and bright.
SJF students are rays of light – they have limitless possibilities in front of them and represent infinite intensities of untapped potential. They all have different origins, and sometimes their light has come through dark places to reach us.
As a school, we want to be the prism refracting their light. This work is led by our enthusiastic staff, the lenses focusing our students’ potential. Our staff have an overriding belief that all students’ talents can shine with support, and they give their very best to our students.
Collectively, we are a galaxy of stars, each one’s light amplifying the others. The light of our students will not only provide illumination for themselves; it will brighten our community for the benefit of others.
Students will change on their journey through our school, using their unique talents to refract out into a million different colours, representing a million different possibilities, moving out of the shining prism of our school, into the possibilities of their own glittering futures.
Our Values
Community: St. John Fisher Catholic Comprehensive School is the golden thread woven through the rich tapestry of our community. The word ‘Catholic’ means ‘inclusive’, and so we are a proudly Catholic school for everyone. We follow Christ’s pattern, creating not just the brightest but the best people we can be. Like any thread in a piece of fabric, sometimes we hold our community together and sometimes we are supported by others. This binds our community, weaving us together in unity and love.
Excellence: At SJF, we build excellence on the foundations of effort and expertise. We create the blueprint for excellence together and then work relentlessly to bring it to life. As architects of our own futures, we expect everyone to do their absolute best and to expect the absolute best of others.
Learning: St John Fisher prepares our students for learning with care and purpose. We carefully plan for their growth through a rich curriculum. We nurture the seeds of learning in an environment where every member of the school community enjoys knowing and understanding more. Deep roots of knowledge, skills and curiosity empower our students to become lifelong learners, strong trees able to weather any storm and provide shelter to others. Our students will, in turn, go on to share the fruits of their own learning, inspiring generations to come.
Service: Everyone in our community, from the Year 7 student on their first day to the Headteacher on their last day, is called to service. Some will answer the call by holding the door open for the person behind them; others will raise money for charity; yet more will give their time as prefects, choir singers or student leaders. Members of our community will continue to answer the call to service long after they have left us.
Integrity: At SJF, we are guided by the compass of integrity to sail our school ship through stormy seas. Anchored by a strong moral framework, we have the courage to challenge injustice and make decisions for the benefit of all. Our staff and students never lose sight of the importance of working justly and as a crew when navigating unknown waters to arrive at safe harbours.
Ethos of a Catholic School
The Catholic School is not just an environment providing a series of lessons. It aims to meet the needs of the young people today in the light of the Church’s faith in Jesus Christ. This means that a school’s Catholic character is witnessed to in all facets of its life. For the school to be truly Catholic this vision must be shared by all concerned with its work.
We stand on holy ground. Every child, every young person, every adult is a unique image of God. We are invited by God to nurture the life of the spirit in one another as children of God, so that we become ‘more like Christ’, fully human and fully alive. This is the vision which inspires our schools and colleges in all that they do.
