St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

British values have strong links with our vision statement and we actively promote British values in a range of areas.

We develop the value of democracy through our active promotion of the democratic process. Elections are held for our posts of responsibility for House and Vice captains and our school committee. The rule of law is promoted through our ongoing PSHE programme and reflects our vision in trying to achieve the highest possible personal achievements. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is a fundamental understanding that helps us recognise Christ in everyone.   Individual liberty is promoted through our RE curriculum with pupils expected to take personal responsibility. It is strongly reflected in how we want pupils to treat one another reflecting the fact that we value Christ in everyone. 

Catholic Social teaching (CST) is a very important part of our school curriculum. CST encourages- for example-tolerance, the common good, option for the poor, stewardship, participation and a recognition that people may be different but we should respect to all (human dignity).  We want our pupils to be accepting of one another.  We want them to understand that people can be different. We provide children with opportunities to learn about different faiths, from those who experience these first-hand. Children visit places of worship, such as the Buddhist Temple and Farnborough Abbey as well has having people of other faiths share their beliefs and experiences of prayer, such as the recent visits given on Hinduism and Islam.  Children are educated in the fact that people are different for a variety of reasons and participate in themed days such as; Diversity and Inclusion day, SPLD Awareness Day (autism, ADHD and dyslexia), Down Syndrome Day, Mental Health Awareness Day and Children’s Mental Health week. We also have a diverse range of books available.

Our welcome to families and visitors is the drive for our vision. We want people to experience and see Christ within our pupils. We promote the gospel values of faith, diligence, sensitivity, tolerance and respect for others. This is reflected by the Social Moral, Spiritual and Cultural focus of the school. We want our pupils to grow up to be hardworking, have a developed understanding of what is right and wrong, be good citizens and find Christ in everyone.

St. Joseph’s vision is active and drives all that we do in the school. It is shared with all our pupils, staff and governors and revisited annually to maintain both the focus of the vision and ensure that it is effectively shared within the school community. Our Year 6 children shortened our vision statement to make it easier for the younger children to understand- We welcome, care and work hard.

There are many practical examples of how this happens every day in school. Our very active school committee supports many local and national charities, through fund-raising or collecting toys for those in need or items for the local food banks. Our school choir visits residential homes for the elderly and our Year 6 children make Christmas cards for the lonely and vulnerable within the community.  Our Eco-committee work hard to ensure that we work together to respect the resources available to us and to reduce waste where we can. Our walking champions encourage pupils and parents to act as responsible citizens and walk and stride to school. We run over 20 extra-curricular clubs throughout the school. Our school Chaplain promotes and complements our focus on Gospel values. We are a Fairtrade school promoting fairness throughout the world and all children participate in learning activities during Fairtrade Fortnight in which the children are informed, therefore empowered for their future choices.