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.”
– The Archdiocese of Southwark: Our Vision for Catholic Education
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.’
What does this mean?
We want our school to have:
- A vision shaped by the personal faith and commitment of its leaders;
- A staff that understands and is committed to the school’s mission;
- A commitment to social justice and the common good, both for our students and ourselves;
- Aims and objectives to ensure that this vision is achieved in the day-to-day life of the school;
- An ethos in which every individual makes a unique and valued contribution, open to the world, but seeking to change it for the better;
- Attitudes that celebrate success, but treat failure with compassion;
- Policies that reflect our commitment to Christian values;
- A curriculum rooted firmly in those Christian values, with religious education at its heart;
- A sense of worship, where sacramental and liturgical celebration are integral to the learning experiences within the school; and
- Recognition of the presence of God within the school, and within the uniqueness of each individual and within each person’s talents and gifts.
In line with our Catholic values we want the very best for our students and staff. We will strive to help students develop:
- Spiritual formation, where each individual’s spiritual journey is supported;
- High levels of self-esteem, where each individual’s gifts can flourish and be celebrated;
- High aspirations, where students constantly aim to achieve their best;
- Stronger and more impressive skills, deeper understanding and broader knowledge, year by year;
- An excellent blend of qualifications, as a stepping stone to further study and lifelong learning;
- A recognition that they live within a wider society, and that they should be proactive and positive in family, social and community life;
- An understanding of the importance of personal health and leisure, and a deep respect for the environment;
- A love of sport and the concept of fair play.
Our students will develop as mature learners, seeking knowledge and understanding, knowing how to work in teams and form harmonious partnerships. The school has a proud history of supporting children’s spiritual journeys towards vocation and we plan to continue this work.
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.
