Catholic Life of the School
St Mary Immaculate is a Catholic School, which makes this a very special place to be, and we welcome children from other faiths and no faith. As a Catholic school, our faith flows through every aspect of our school life and in the way the whole community treats and respects one another. The Catholic life of the school is rich in opportunities for children to encounter God and to deepen their relationship with Him as a loving, compassionate Father.
The Christian values at the heart of our Catholic faith incorporate British values and in everything we do, we aim to further each child’s sense of commitment and responsibility to themselves, to others and in the wider world.
Prayer and worship
Prayer and worship are central to the daily life of our school. We aim to provide opportunities for children’s spiritual growth and development through participation in a variety of forms of worship and through experiencing all forms of prayer: formal, informal, spontaneous, private, shared, petitionary and meditative.
Pupils are actively involved in planning and leading worship, both in class groups and whole school settings. Shared acts of worship take place in an atmosphere of reflection and stillness, where we encourage each other to listen to God speaking to us, and to respond.
The school as a Catholic Community
All staff are aware that the school’s foundations are built on the Catholic faith and beliefs. They receive regular training as part of their continuous professional development. Staff pray and work together to support each other in providing the very best education possible for the pupils. Learning in RE is at the core of the curriculum and we ensure that the Bishop’s directive is followed in allocating 10% of curriculum time to RE lessons. The Governing Body, led by the Co-Chairs and the Governor responsible for RE, provide outstanding support and commitment to the Catholic Life of the school. Parents are welcomed to assemblies, Masses and other liturgies throughout the year.
Vision & Values
Our vision and values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, happy citizens. As a Catholic school our moral purpose is to translate our vision of ensuring that our pupils experience the highest quality education, that puts Christ at the centre of their lives, into reality.
Our Mission Prayer was created through consultation with pupils, parents, teachers and governors. It reflects our commitment to ensuring that all our pupils grow in their faith and their learning to become the best version of themselves that they can be. We pray our Mission Prayer every day as a reminder of all that we hope to be.
Our School Values
Our children, staff and governors collaboratively decided on which values we felt were most important to us at St Mary Immaculate. Each half term we will explore our ENTRUST values through collective worship, RE, RHE and PSHE lessons. These values express our desire to develop ourselves as learners living in God’s image, as part of our school, as part of our parish community and as part of our wider British community. In our Mission Prayer we ask Mary to guide us as we entrust ourselves to her care. We pray that her loving care will enable us to flourish.
Our ENTRUST values are: Encourage Everyone, Never Give Up, Truthful, Responsible, Use Our Unique Talents, Show Respect and Thoughtful. Each value is taken from a bible story as that is how we can learn as children of God.
The Pillars of our Curriculum: Live Wisely · Think Deeply · Love Generously
At St Mary Immaculate, the pillars of our whole curriculum are rooted in Colossians 3:12–17, where St Paul calls us to clothe ourselves “with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” to let “the message of Christ dwell richly” in our hearts, and to act “with all wisdom” in everything we do. These words guide the formation of our pupils as thoughtful learners, joyful disciples, and generous members of their community.
Live Wisely
“Teach and admonish one another with all wisdom.” — Colossians 3:16
To live wisely means helping our children make good choices, grow in understanding, and use their gifts for good. Wisdom for us is not only knowledge, but knowing how to live in God’s light.
Catholic Social Teaching Link – The Common Good & Human Dignity:
We encourage pupils to act in ways that help everyone flourish. Wise choices protect the dignity of each person and strengthen the whole community.
Think Deeply
“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly.” — Colossians 3:16
To think deeply is to reflect, question, wonder, and seek truth. We teach our children to look beyond the surface, to grow in understanding, and to recognise God at work in the world around them.
Catholic Social Teaching Link – Dignity of the Human Person & Option for the Poor:
Deep thinking helps children understand injustice, empathise with others, and reflect on how their choices affect those who are most vulnerable.
Love Generously
“Over all these virtues put on love.” — Colossians 3:14
To love generously is to give of ourselves, show compassion, and act with kindness—even when it is difficult. Generous love reflects Jesus’ command to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Catholic Social Teaching Link – Solidarity & The Preferential Option for the Poor:
We teach children that love is active: standing alongside others, helping those who are struggling, and giving without expecting anything in return.
In Everything We Do
“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” — Colossians 3:17
These pillars shape every part of school life—from learning and play to friendships and service. We want every child to know that they are cherished by God and called to grow into the person He created them to be.
British Values
At St Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School we value the backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate these. We have found this approach to be enriching for all parties as it teaches tolerance and respect for the differences in our community and the wider world. Underpinning all of this is a range of curriculum topics, which have strong links to our British history and culture. Details sharing how key British Values are embedded in our curriculum are contained in our termly curriculum leaflet to parents.
At St Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary BRITISH values are reinforced regularly and in the following ways:
Democracy
Democracy is rife within the school. Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and Pupil questionnaires. The elections of school councillors and House Captains are based solely on pupil votes. Our school behaviour policy involves our ENTRUST values awarded to pupils by any member of staff for being a role model and demonstrating appropriate values.
The Rule of Law
The importance of Laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school collective worship. Pupils are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police, Fire Service etc. are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we educate and provide boundaries for young pupils to make choices safely, through provision of a safe environment and empowering education. Pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and advise how to exercise these safely, for example through our Online Safety and RHE lessons. Whether it be through choice of challenge, of how they record, of participation in our extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to make choices.
Mutual Respect
Part of our school ethos and behaviour policy revolves around our ENTRUST values and our award, and pupils have been part of discussions and assemblies related to what these mean and how they are shown. Posters around the school promote respect for others and this is reiterated through our classroom and learning rules, as well as our behaviour policy.
Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs
This is achieved through enhancing pupils understanding of their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity. Assemblies and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying have been followed and supported by learning in RE and RHE. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school.