CATHOLIC LIFE

At English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School, it is our aim to raise standards by promoting a school ethos which is underpinned by core values (BE attitudes). These values support the development of the whole child to enable them to be the best version of themselves. 

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Our curriculum is designed around the Beatitudes from Matthew’s Gospel, which have been shaped into 8 core values. We aim to support all children's social, moral, spiritual and cultural development as well as their understanding and use of British Values.

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At our school, learning is so much more than just academic success and we believe strongly that children are not fully successful learners unless they have developed a wider set of skills that help them to learn more effectively and engage well with their surroundings and other people.

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Our pupils explore how these school values underpin everything our school does, how they can impact their personal development, as well as giving a meaningful context for British Values.

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Our BE-attitudes Curriculum ensure the Core Values are introduced, discussed and lived out so that our pupils can embrace these attitudes with enthusiasm and demonstrate a good understanding of their application to their own lives.

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Intent

The planned programme supports our children in making good choices both in their learning and around the school. They underpin our Behaviour for Learning (BfL) policy and are used as a means to resolve conflict and unacceptable behaviour.

• They ensure that our pupils develop the skills to be good citizens in the future.

• The values are used as a focus in our weekly worship and are celebrated in our Friday assembly as our Saint of the Week award, as well as being woven into teaching and learning within classrooms.

• They influence our relationship with others and ourselves.

• Our BE-attitudes support our children to express their point of view. 

• Values education is an approach that nurtures and enables learners to grow, making a difference to the world through who and how they are.

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Implementing the BE-attitudes Curriculum 

• Attitudes are introduced in monthly House groups meeting. Each House Group is made up of pupils from Reception to Year 6.

• As adults, we (all staff) try to live the values: we teach best by being role models.

• Our BE-attitudes curriculum is delivered during monthly House Group session. Each House group has pupils from Reception to Year 6.

• The session will follow a clear structure, giving opportunity for discussion, information sharing, reflection and prayer.

• Sources of evidence are used to construct arguments and aid discussion which helps us to understand that we are all part of a diverse community, that we have a role to play and that we are enough.

• We all have unique talents, to work as a team and that we are greater working together then acting in isolation.

 

Pastoral House Groups

Within English Martyrs’ we have allocated house groups. The house groups are named after local Saints from the North of England. These pastoral groups comprised of children from every year and have both teaching and support staff in them.

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Within Year 6 the children apply for the role of House captain. There are 2 house captains for each of the houses.

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Pupils earn house points and the house points are collated to see which house has won. The winning house is awarded a trophy for display on their house board in the Hall.

 

Our House Groups Saints are:

• St Aidan

• St Bede

• St Bega

• St Benet Biscop

• St Cuthbert

• St Hilda

• St Oswald