St Cuthbert's RC Primary School

  1. R.E
  2. SMSVC

Values and Virtues

At St. Cuthbert's school we have a rich and diverse Catholic Life programme; we believe our faith permeates all we do for and with our children. In other sections of this website we have discussed Prayer, Sacramental Preparation, Saints, SMSVC and Collective Worship - all active elements of Catholic Life. From September 2015 we have adopted the Archdiocese of Birmingham's Catholic Schools Profile. This means we will be working together across all phases of the school to look at those values and virtues that come from the Gospel and teachings of Jesus.

These values and virtues are taken from the Jesuit Institute which is rooted in the teachings of St Ignatius. They have created a Pupil Profile in which 8 pairs of complementary words have been placed together. The Archdiocese of Birmingham have been allowed to use the Jesuit material and have renamed it the Catholic Schools Profile.

Each half term the whole school will focus on one pair of words; we will spend time reflecting on the meaning of the words; how we see these values in action in our lives and in the lives of others and how we can work to encapsulate these values in our lives
.

This Half term we are learning to be

Pupils in St. Cuthbert's Primary School are growing to be . . .

Grateful for their own gifts, for the gift of other people, and for the blessings of each day; and generous with their gifts, becoming men and women for others.

Attentive to their experience and to their vocation; and discerning about the choices they make and the effects of those choices.

Compassionate towards others, near and far, especially the less fortunate; and loving by their just actions and forgiving words.

Faith-filled in their beliefs and hopeful for the future.

Eloquent and truthful in what they say of themselves, the relations between people, and the world.

Learned, finding God in all things; and wise in the ways they use their learning for the common good.

Curious about everything; and active in their engagement with the world, changing what they can for the better.

Intentional in the way they live and use the resources of the earth, guided by conscience; and prophetic in the example they set to others.


SMSVC Books

Each week, teachers plan an SMSVC lesson. The lessons are based on several key aspects of SMSVC. The children will learn about the Catholic virtues for that half term, British Values, Multiculturalism and a lesson on a half termly theme. All the work is then put into each class's SMSVC book. We are very proud of our SMSVC books as they are a true testament of the importance the Catholic faith is to our staff and our children. 
                                           

British Values

The Government set out its definition of British Values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.
The DfE has recently reinforced the need 'to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values.' These are:
• Democracy
• The rule of law
• Individual liberty
• Mutual respect
• Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs

At St. Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School we are committed to serving our community and local area. In so doing, we reinforce excellent morals and values regularly and in the following ways:


Democracy:
Democratic values are an explicit part of the ethos at St. Cuthbert’s. All adults listen to the views of the pupils and value their opinions. Pupils have further opportunity to have their voices heard through our School Council and Pupil Voice interviews led by subject leaders. The elections of School Council and House Captains are the result of pupil votes and all of these groups canvas the opinions of their peers.

The Rule of Law:
The importance of laws and rules are consistently reinforced in the classroom, as well as through school assemblies. Pupils are taught to understand the need for laws – that they are there for individual protection, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Pupils follow a positive behaviour policy and clearly understand the rewards and sanctions that are used. Assemblies and discussions in class focus on recognising right from wrong and visits from the Police, Fire Service and local councillors help to reinforce these messages.

Individual Liberty:
Pupils are encouraged to be independent learners, constantly making choices, within a safe and supportive environment. Developing their self-esteem and self-confidence is very important. Pupils are encouraged to understand their personal freedoms and are taught how to use these rights to best effect. All pupils are keen to support charities, whether local, national or global. They are taught consideration for others through our Religious Education curriculum and SMSVC lessons in particular. E-safety teaching enables them to make choices in a safe manner.

Mutual Respect:
Our school’s ethos and behaviour policy are based on Gospel values, with the important commandment being, ‘Love one another as I have loved you’. Assemblies constantly promote respect for others and the importance of good manners. All pupils are taught the importance of self-
respect, honest and open communication with others and fair play. Pupils work collaboratively and value others’ opinions.

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs:
As a Catholic worshipping community, pupils are reminded of their place in a culturally diverse society. This is achieved through our Religious Education curriculum and the spiritual life of the school. The RE curriculum specifically teaches pupils about other world religions and visits are made to places of worship where possible. Assemblies and class work promote the diversity of society and the right for each person to be respected and valued equally regardless of ability, gender, faith, heritage or race. Members

SMSVC Policy
Please click the link to view our SMSVC Policy.