The St Francis Family

St. Patrick’s is a small primary school serving the town of Harworth and Bircotes and the surrounding villages. The school serves a diverse cohort of pupils, reflecting the richness and breadth of the local community. Guided by the core values of faith, community, respect, and excellence, the school nurtures each individual’s academic, spiritual, and social development. At the heart of the school’s ethos is a commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, underpinned by a highly ambitious and engaging curriculum. Through working in partnership with parents, St Patrick’s school develops confident lifelong learners who are well equipped for future success.

Our Mission

‘With God all things are possible’. Matthew 19:26

St Patrick’s offers a distinctive education within a caring Christian community where everyone can feel valued, confident and secure. We believe that each person is gifted, unique and loved by God. By working in partnership we create a challenging, stimulating and effective learning environment where Christ is our inspiration.

We promote our core values of:

Faith – Nurturing a strong foundation in Catholic teachings to foster a deep sense of spirituality and faith. To grow in God’s love and learn together.

Community – Fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where students, staff and parents work in collaboration to embody the spirit of a caring and loving community.

Respect – Mutual respect amongst all members of the school community recognising and celebrating everyone’s unique identity.

Excellence – High quality education that encourages intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and a lifelong love of learning with high aspirations for all.

Our Individuality

We have a relentless focus on ensuring that every pupil learns how to read quickly and effectively whilst developing a true love of reading.

We are committed to Improving reading, writing, and linguistic outcomes for all learners. Our teachers are experts in the teaching of reading and each classroom has an inviting social reading space with a diverse range of literature for children to enjoy. Through a supportive and structured reading program, we empower pupils to become confident and enthusiastic readers, developing skills that benefit them both academically and socially.

We have a strong culture of welcome and inclusion for all with a commitment to closing any disadvantage gaps

We thrive on a culture of welcome and inclusion, ensuring all members of the community feel valued and respected. Staff are committed to closing disadvantage gaps through quality first teaching, high quality interventions and exciting enrichment opportunities for all. We believe in the potential of every child and foster and environment where all pupils are empowered to succeed through our inclusive curriculum.

We have an excellence for all through high-quality continued professional development and mentoring programs for staff

We believe that the key to delivering excellence for all lies in the continuous development of our staff. Staff engage in high quality CPD opportunities that are tailored to meet the needs of our school improvement priorities. Our mentoring programs provide ongoing guidance and support, fostering collaboration and professional growth. This commitment to staff development helps us maintain a culture of excellence and supports every pupil’s success.

Holy Family is a small Worksop primary school serving 236 children from Nursery to Year 6. We serve a large and diverse catchment area, as part of the Parish of St. Jude’s.

Our symbol of Jesus, Mary and Joseph signifies the importance of a loving family, at the heart of which is building our relationship with God, through the teachings of the Catholic faith.

Our Mission

We are committed to the highest quality education for all

We are committed to promoting and inclusive, loving family through the teachings of the catholic faith

We are committed to safeguarding everyone in our family

Our values and school motto are a L.I.S.T. of how we will achieve our Mission:

We promise to keep everyone:

Learning

Included

Safe

Together in love

Our Individuality

We have a strong inclusive family ethos, supporting children and their families beyond our school gates. We welcome children and families from all around the world and teach our children how to be role models for each other and how to celebrate our similarities and differences as we are all made in the image of God.

Religious Education is the core of our core curriculum.

Our curriculum is organised into six branches based on the Church calendar which helps us to celebrate and explore links across different subjects. We have many themes that weave into our learning, leading from Catholic Social Teaching. In particular, we explore our love for our world and how we can be stewards to protect it for generations to come.

We love spending time outside and taking part in outdoor learning. Our children develop key skills to keep themselves safe and to develop their independence.

Children work collaboratively to develop team work and resilience. We have an extensive program of residential trips to support this and to challenge our children to be courageous and to build their confidence in their abilities.

St. Peter’s Catholic Primary School is a mixed one-form entry primary academy situated near the centre of Doncaster. Our diverse school community of 209 pupils reflects the wide catchment area we serve, covering Doncaster town centre and the surrounding parishes. Our school community is diverse, comprising 26 different ethnic groups and other faiths, with 21 languages spoken across school. We are proud of our school and the vibrant, inclusive, nurturing community we have created.

Our Mission

At St. Peter’s, every pupil is valued, nurtured and empowered to reach their full potential. Guided by our unwavering Catholic faith and core values of kindness, respect, faith, integrity, belonging and aspiration, we are committed to delivering a high-quality, engaging education that inspires a lifelong love of learning. Our pupils will grow gently in the love of God, developing the knowledge, skills and character to become confident, compassionate and responsible citizens who make a positive difference in the world.

As a beacon of hope in our local community, St. Peter’s is a place where all are welcomed, respected and celebrated for who they are. In partnership with our stakeholders, we have built a school that is truly reflective of the diverse world we live in, fostering understanding, empathy and a deep sense of belonging for every member of our family. At the heart of all we do is Christ. Our school vision is to promote a community where every individual is valued and respected, listened to and loved, and proud to belong. We encourage each other to aim high and achieve in a supportive and caring environment, creating treasured memories and values that stay with us for life. In the words of our mission statement, all our pupils will ‘learn and grow gently in the love of God’.

Our Individuality

Our curriculum is knowledge rich and ambitious, focussed on depth of learning, with sequences of learning planned for carefully so that learning sticks in the children’s long term memories. The curriculum is designed to recognise children’s prior learning, provide a range of engaging and purposeful learning experiences and allow all children to grow as learners. Fundamental to our curriculum is the understanding that every child is unique. Through our curriculum, we aim to promote positive attitudes to learning so that all pupils make progress.

Reading is at the heart of our curriculum and learning is supported through the use of high quality texts across a range of subjects. There is a consistent and systematic approach to the teaching of early reading and phonics, with rigour and fidelity to the phonics scheme. In Key Stage 2, there is a structured sequence for the teaching of reading, so that all pupils are able to develop a range of reading skills. Alongside this, we prioritise a love of reading, and have a strategic approach to promoting reading for pleasure. We aim to build lifelong readers, promote a love of reading and allow pupils to access the full curriculum offer. The reading culture of the school is evident through high quality displays, reading areas and the school library. Pupils express a love of reading and story time is an important part of the school day.

We promote the personal development of our pupils in a range of different ways, and all talents and interest are catered for. Our curriculum offers a range of enrichment opportunities and there are a number of pupil leadership roles available.

All of this helps to promote a positive sense of community and aids the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our pupils.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, a voluntary Academy was opened in 1970 and welcomes 220 pupils aged 3-11 years. We serve Retford and the surrounding area, providing a distinctive Catholic high quality education.

At St Joseph’s we have a strong Catholic ethos, seen in all areas of school life.

Our Mission

“Welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed you”

Romans 15:7

St. Joseph’s is a welcoming school where Christ is at the heart of our mission. Together we aim to nurture and inspire children to develop their unique potential, through Gospel values, in a caring, learning environment. At St Joseph’s, we grow and learn in an inclusive and safe place where friendship and love are found in the family, the church and the school.

We encourage each other to ‘Be the best that we can be’.

Our Individuality

Parents describe our school as very welcoming, with high aspirations and strength in supporting all pupil’s needs.

We have a superb learning environment both indoors and outdoors with a range of opportunities for recreational play and sport.

Communication with parents and families is a real strength of the schools’ provision. Staff describe our school as a family environment as we support each other to establish a nurturing approach, whilst achieving consistently good and outstanding expectations of academic achievement.

There are many opportunities for enrichment across the school’s curriculum with both a wide range of pupil led groups; including Class Ambassadors, Prayer Chaplains, a Junior PTA group, and our Mini Vinnies who provide charity outreach and also a bespoke range of additional clubs and events which enable children to realise their potential as musicians, singers, cooks, sports leaders and linguists. At the heart of our provision there are purposeful links between the parish, parents and the school, which strengthen the distinctive nature of the schools catholic provision.

St Joseph’s may be small in size but it is great in might. Nestled at the heart of Dinnington, Sheffield, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School is more than just a place of learning—it is a home where faith, kindness, and knowledge intertwine. St Joseph’s is proud of its small and welcoming school, which fosters a family-like atmosphere where every child is valued, encouraged, and supported in reaching their full potential. St Joseph’s continues to grow in number, taking students from its immediate locality of Dinnington, but also from the neighbouring villages of North Anston, Laughton, Kiveton Park, Woodsetts, Thurcroft and Wales.

Our Mission

John 10.10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”, St Josephs is committed to developing each child spiritually, morally, socially and academically. The core values of Faith, Aspiration, Effort, and Respect – are integral to our ethos. We are unapologetically Christian through all our practise, promoting and believing that Christ’s teachings guide us to be successful and fulfilled in life. Loving our neighbour is at the core of all teaching and interactions experienced at St Joseph’s which creates an all-encompassing welcome to children and families from all backgrounds, religions and cultures.

Our Individuality

With a commitment to high-quality education, St. Joseph’s offers a broad and engaging curriculum that supports children’s development in core subjects while also promoting creativity, critical thinking, and personal growth. We place a strong emphasis on moral values, kindness, and respect, ensuring that students develop a strong sense of responsibility and compassion. Lessons are not only measured in books and numbers but also through kindness shown, prayers shared, and friendships formed.

St. Joseph’s benefits from a dedicated team of teachers and staff who work closely with pupils and parents to create a supportive and inspiring learning environment. Staff enjoy working at St Joseph’s due to its embedded team-based culture; staff share each other’s celebrations and challenges, believing a problem shared is a problem halved and no-one should walk alone. Our daily practise shows we look after each other, and the school has a variety of staff-wellbeing practises in place to ensure this culture is never diluted.

St Joseph’s is on an exciting journey at the moment, motivated by change and responding to evolving social landscapes we are determined to provide every child with life chances. Inclusivity drives every aspect of our school life; adaptive teaching in classrooms, forest school exploration, specialist SEND responses and also through the work of our warm and nurturing Emotional Learning Support Assistant we work daily to remove barriers for our children so they can live life and have it to the full. The parish church stands close by, a gentle reminder of the school’s spiritual foundation, offering moments of quiet reflection and joyous worship that deepen our children’s connection to their faith. With the backdrop of our church family, the academic and moral teachings through our curriculum and a loving and dedicated team of teachers we intend for all children to success and to live with purpose and grace.

St. Joseph’s Catholic Primary school is a mixed Roman Catholic primary school, situated in the village of Rossington, Doncaster, a former mining village. There are currently 234 children on roll in 8 classes. Pupils originate from a range of socio-economic backgrounds creating a rich and diverse culture within the school.

Our Mission

Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid’.

At St Joseph’s our Mission is to allow everyone to develop to their full potential in the light of the teachings of Jesus Christ. We believe that each individual should be free to grow in a loving and merciful school community, rooted in determination, courage and hard work. By the grace of God each person can be nurtured to fulfil their purpose.

Our Individuality

We are defined by character education. Learning with character is the cornerstone to our core purpose of helping our children become happy, confident and successful individuals who will contribute positively to the world around them. Our bespoke and personalised creative curriculum has been intentionally planned and designed to focus on the building of children’s behaviour traits associated with character education. We believe that if we invest in developing the character of our St. Joseph’s boys and girls now, then they will reap the rewards throughout the rest of their lives.

We are driven by the RESPECT framework, championed by the Commando Joe character building programme. This is an acronym for Resilience, Empathy, Self-Awareness, Passion, Excellence, Communication and Teamwork. These moral, civic and performance virtues permeate all aspects of school life – they form the foundations of our school rules, behaviour policy and reward systems, and result in character being caught, taught and sought. This approach delivers a lasting impact – our children thrive and flourish and experience a balance of personal and academic achievement whilst at our school.

St. Joseph’s – the school where we come together as a family community. Ofsted (February 2025) comments that, ‘pupils, parents and staff all share a strong sense of community.’ This statement is true.

Our school is one where everyone cares about and values each other; where the Gospel values Jesus teaches us are alive and shared by all. We have built a culture of belonging, safety and trust for our children and their families, such as inviting family members into school each week to participate in Commando Joe missions or hosting masses for our parish community. We want all our children to experience their own journey of faith. We seek to build collaboration, connection and community because only when working closely with each other will our children achieve their full potential.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is situated on the edge of the Maltby Dyke Valley, home to the magnificent ruins of the Cistercian monastery – Roche Abbey. Building work on the school began in August 1939 and was funded with money raised by the parish community of St Mary Magdalene Catholic Church. The school was specifically built to provide a Catholic education to children in the Maltby area, many of whom were from mining families who had moved in to the region. Despite the final closure of Maltby Main Colliery in 2013, the legacy of coal mining can still be felt in the town, with many buildings and sites having links to the industrial past. The school currently has 149 children on roll aged 3-11.

Our Mission

Our school values are rooted in the Gospel values and each word, ‘achieve’, ‘believe’, ‘care’ and ‘community’ are linked to key scripture. These values underpin everything that we do in school, helping us to think about the way that we interact with each other and how we respond to the wider community. The carefully selected scripture lends itself to both British values and Catholic Social teaching, and serve as a daily reminder of how we should try to live our lives.

Our Individuality

We have an excellent Early Years Foundation Stage, where children get off to a great start. We have an experienced teaching team, who offer a great education alongside making memories in our fantastic learning environment. We have a large open plan classroom and outdoor provision, with access to an inspiring nature area with mud kitchen, sit in sand pit, water wall and exploring zones.

We work hard to be a community united by God’s love, a community where we believe in one another, achieve what God wants for us and care for each other, our community and the world around us. These values underpin every aspect of our school life, from our curriculum to our rewards systems. We know what we want for our children, we share that with them through daily gatherings, acts of worship, celebrations and the way we interact with each other. Together, every day and as long as it takes, we encourage and support each other to be the best versions of ourselves. ‘The school’s mission statement is well-known, regularly visited, lived, and permeates the school. It has an ever-increasing impact on school life.’ (Section 48, Nov 2024).

The high level of dedication and commitment of school staff towards the whole school community was highlighted as a strength in the recent Section 48 inspection, ‘The exceptional, high standard of pastoral care, support and love from all staff towards all pupils, especially the most vulnerable’. (Section 48, Nov 2024)

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is located in the heart of Herringthorpe, Rotherham. We are proud to serve the wonderful parishes of Immaculate Conception, Herringthorpe, and Blessed Trinity, Wickersley. As a one-form entry school, we work hard to create a warm and welcoming environment where every child feels valued and nurtured.

Our Mission

Our mission statement serves as the foundation for everything we do in our Christ-centred environment. Guided by our three core values—faith, care, and flourishing – we encourage every child and adult to “Let your light shine” (Matthew 5:16). We are committed to nurturing each child’s unique qualities in the spirit of God, supporting their spiritual, academic, moral, and cultural growth.

Our Individuality

At St Mary’s, we are proud of our engaging and balanced curriculum, with reading at its core. We believe that every child should experience the joys of reading, not only to enhance their learning but also for enjoyment. We carefully select texts that complement our curriculum while challenging and broadening students’ understanding of the world. Our beautifully appointed library is accessible to all our students, providing a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts.

We offer exciting extracurricular programs that provide fantastic opportunities for all children to participate in competitive sports, regardless of their levels and abilities. These programmes include activities at international and professional venues, such as athletics at the English Institute of Sport, football at New York Stadium, and swimming at Ponds Forge.

At St Mary’s, each child will have the opportunity to visit the theatre and enjoy fantastic performances, including a Christmas pantomime and remarkable West End shows such as The Lion King, The Wizard of Oz, and Wicked, all in stunning venues. These cultural experiences support our students to develop and showcase their acting, musical, and dancing talents through various performing arts enrichment activities, which feature spectacular musical productions like Frozen and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Additionally, we organise enjoyable residential visits where children can take part in outdoor adventures such as zip-lining, abseiling, fencing, and raft-building. These activities help develop the children’s resilience and confidence in new situations. They explore the countryside, appreciating the natural beauty of our environment, and immerse themselves in the vibrant culture of cities like Liverpool. On these trips, we visit the Beatles Experience, take a ferry on the River Mersey, and learn about World War II by exploring the Western Approaches bunker museum.

St. Gerard’s Catholic Primary School is for boys and girls ranging from 4-11 years old and is located in the village of Thyrbergh, Rotherham, South Yorkshire. Our school is very much at the heart of the parish. In our School Jesus is at the centre, alive in all we do, think and say.

Our Mission

With Christ as our teacher, to enable every child to be the best that they can be.

At St. Gerard’s, with Christ as our Teacher, we are committed to enabling every child to reach their full potential. Our mission is to nurture each pupil’s unique gifts and talents, guiding them to become the best they can be, not just academically but in all aspects of life.

We believe that every child deserves a holistic education that goes beyond the classroom. We provide a broad and balanced curriculum that exceeds the expectations of the national curriculum, ensuring that each child is equipped to thrive in an ever-changing world.

Our goal is to inspire our children to become responsible, respectful global citizens who contribute positively to society. We encourage our pupils to aim high, fostering a culture of aspiration and perseverance that extends through to secondary school, post-16 educations and beyond.

At St. Gerard’s we set ambitious goals for every child. We are dedicated to helping them achieve their God-given potential while cultivating an attitude of boundless ambition, where they believe there are no limits to their learning or achievements.

Our Individuality

In our recent Section 48 inspection our school was Outstanding in all areas, highlighting our commitment to excellence in Catholic education. We nurture respectful, resilient, and responsible citizens. St. Gerard’s is a very special place, where every child and every family truly matter.

Our curriculum is carefully structured to build knowledge, understanding, and skills in a meaningful way. Through cross-curricular connections, we develop critical thinkers who apply their learning with confidence.

At St. Gerard’s, we believe in learning beyond the classroom. Our ‘7 Things I will do at St. Gerard’s by the age of 11’ initiative ensures every child experiences a rich and varied education, including Forest School, residential trips, and faith in action. With a wide range of after-school clubs, and extracurricular activities, we inspire curiosity, creativity, and lifelong learning.

St Bede’s Catholic Primary School is at the heart of Kimberworth, Rotherham. As a large primary school with over 330 pupils, including an F1 nursery, we provide a nurturing and inclusive environment where every child is valued. We have a strong sense of community, with a real “family” feel running throughout the school. This ensures that children feel safe, supported, and inspired to achieve their full potential.

Our Mission

At St Bede’s, our Mission Statement is guided by our five promises, which are deeply embedded in school life. These promises shape our teaching, relationships, and school culture, ensuring that every child grows in faith, kindness, and excellence. We are committed to providing a faith-filled, high-quality education that fosters love, respect, and ambition, helping each child flourish academically, personally, and socially.

Our Individuality

Our “We are a family” approach is at the heart of everything we do, creating a warm, inclusive, and supportive school environment where everyone belongs.

We offer exceptional outdoor learning opportunities, making full use of two all-weather sports pitches, a large woodland area, a spacious field, and dedicated play and learning areas for EYFS, KS1, and KS2. Our outdoor curriculum includes orienteering and forest schools, fostering problem-solving, teamwork, and a love for the natural world. Creativity is a key driver across our curriculum, ensuring children develop critical thinking, imagination, and a love for learning in all subjects. Our innovative teaching approaches encourage problem-solving, self-expression, and resilience.

We empower our children to take ownership of their learning and behaviour. Our active Pupil Parliament is a shining example of the leadership our pupils demonstrate, setting high expectations and playing a key role in shaping school life. We believe in developing the whole child, nurturing confidence, independence, and strong values. Through enrichment activities, faith-based learning, and a caring school culture, our children thrive not just academically but personally and socially too. We equip children with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need for their next stage of education. Our broad, ambitious curriculum ensures they leave St Bede’s as independent, responsible, and well-prepared learners, ready to thrive in secondary school and beyond.

St Bernard’s Catholic High School is a Catholic community where everyone is valued and loved. Situated in Herringthorpe, a suburb of Rotherham, St Bernard’s serves pupils from five feeder schools, as well as accepting pupils from many other schools from across Rotherham. With 820 pupils on roll from a mixture of faith backgrounds, St Bernard’s is a school that focuses on developing our pupils both academically and spiritually, so that when their pupils leave St Bernard’s at the end of Year 11, they do so as wonderful citizens who will go on to make a positive impact on society.

Our Mission

St Bernard’s Mission Statement focuses on scripture from John 10:10 ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ Alongside this scripture, pupils follow a key set of Mission Statement values called ‘St Bernard’s SPIRIT’ which stands for Service; Perseverance; Integrity; Responsibility; Inspiration and Talent. St Bernard’s is an Outstanding Catholic community which places the pupils at the very centre of all that they do. Regardless of faith and background, everyone is made to feel welcomed, loved and valued.

Our Individuality

St Bernard’s has an outstanding READ programme which is at the heart of the core curriculum. Our pupils in Key Stage 3 read and analyse texts on a weekly basis in order to develop a love for reading and broaden their cultural understanding of the world. Novels are deliberately and carefully selected to give our pupils insights into different cultures, inspiring people and world perspectives. This bespoke curriculum, written solely for St Bernard’s pupils, enables reading to be a true focus for the school.

St Bernard’s has a Professional Development programme which ensures that staff develop their teaching repertoire, whilst pupils benefit at the same time! All teaching staff undertake a research based approach to professional development, identifying an area of focus within their classroom and then using the pupils that they teach as focus groups in order to trial new strategies. Staff record their research throughout the year-long process, with a final evaluation and write up in the summer term before all research projects are shared among the staff body.

St Bernard’s is proud to be an ‘Outstanding’ Catholic school (CSI Inspection February 2024) with the Catholic faith rooted in the values that are lived out on a daily basis. Pupils take part in weekly singing assemblies during afternoon form time, and whole school masses at the start of each term are an amazing experience to be a part of. Pupils, parents and staff give generously to support those less fortunate than ourselves, with frequent fundraising activities taking place within the school. Form time at the start and end of the day provide the ‘wrap around’ pastoral care that has become synonymous with this wonderful community. St Bernard’s truly is a special school where pupils are supported to ‘have life and have it to the full’ John 10:10.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a welcoming and inclusive average-sized primary school, proudly serving the parishes of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Mary Magdalen Church in the Intake and Wheatley Hills areas of Doncaster.

Our school reflects the rich diversity of our local community. We are a vibrant multicultural school with a well-above-average proportion of children with English as an Additional Language (EAL).

This rich diversity is a source of strength, fostering a culture of respect, understanding, and celebration of differences. We are committed to ensuring that every child feels valued and supported, regardless of their background.

Our Mission

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School is a community centred in Christ.

Teaching is permeated by the Gospel values and the traditions of our Catholic faith. We seek to promote a happy, stimulating and caring environment in which each person is valued as an individual with unique talents. The curriculum and activities of the school are carefully framed so that each pupil may fulfil his or her potential and know success. Each will grow in awareness of his or her role within the family, the school and society and be sustained by a deepening relationship with God.

Centred in Christ we are…

Happy We make new and happy memories together.

Caring We are caring, kind and amazing just like Jesus.

Valued Each of us is an important part of the jigsaw, which makes up our school family.

Unique We are all special and respect each other’s differences.

Successful We never give up on our journey to success.

For with God nothing is impossible. Luke 1:37

Our Individuality

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we pride ourselves on being an outward-facing school, actively engaging with external agencies to enhance the quality of education we provide. A significant strength of our approach is our commitment to continuous professional development (CPD) for our staff. We understand that investing in our teachers and support staff is directly reflected in the quality of learning experiences for our pupils. We work closely with a range of external partners, to ensure our staff receive the most up-to-date and relevant CPD. This collaborative approach allows us to access expertise in areas such as curriculum development, inclusive practices, and the latest pedagogical approaches. By fostering these strong external relationships, we empower our staff to deliver exceptional teaching and support, ultimately benefiting every child in our school community.

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School, we believe that a strong sense of community is essential for our pupils to thrive. We are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

By fostering a strong sense of community, we create a positive and supportive environment where everyone can thrive. We are proud to be a school that values and celebrates the diversity of our community.

At Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary School, we are committed to preparing our children for life in modern Britain. We believe that this involves not only providing a high-quality academic education but also nurturing our pupils’ personal, social, and spiritual development.

We empower our pupils to take on leadership roles within the school. This not only develops their confidence and self-esteem but also gives them a sense of responsibility and ownership. Our pupil leaders are actively involved in decision-making processes and play a vital role in creating a positive and inclusive school environment.

Our Lady of Sorrows is situated in Armthorpe, three miles East of Doncaster City Centre. Armthorpe is a growing village which is very proud of its rich mining heritage. The school has grown considerably in recent years, with 214 children now on roll. The majority of the children live in Armthorpe, with only a few families travelling from neighbouring villages. We are distinctively Christian in our ethos and outlook and are inclusive of all. At the heart of our school are our Christian values, rooted in the Catholic tradition. We welcome those of all faiths, celebrating joys, failures and successes in partnership with parents, the Parish and the community.

Our Mission

The school vision statement – ‘We are all unique yet share the same heart’ – and the school mission statement have a significant impact on the life of our school. As a school we are deeply rooted in the word of God and provide clear direction for all members of our school community. All staff embrace the mission of the school: they participate fully and contribute to its life and promotion. There is a strong sense of community and everyone, including the most vulnerable, is welcomed in a spirit of generous hospitality. Adults and pupils talk proudly about being part of ‘a family’ and the vision that we aspire to.

Our Individuality

Our Lady’s is a school where we want all children to appreciate the beauty of God’s world and be responsible custodians of our planet. We pride ourselves in our high-quality outdoor education curriculum. We have a clear progression of skills and knowledge in Outdoor Learning which links to many other curriculum areas. Our outdoor curriculum enables children to grow in resilience and is key to improving children’s health, wellbeing and happiness. This is something that we are immensely proud of and would love to share with other schools.

At Our Lady of Sorrows, we strive to create an inclusive, supportive and welcoming environment in which all children are happy, safe and loved. Through high quality teaching, adaptive teaching and targeted SEND support we endeavour to ensure that the needs of all children are met within the classroom, removing barriers to learning and enabling them to reach their potential. We have developed a specialist integrated resource to ensure that children with high levels of need can achieve, succeed and make progress. The primary aim of the resource is to provide an alternative space for learning, removing the barriers presented by the mainstream classroom. It also makes effective use of staffing to provide highly individualised support outlined with the children’s EHCPs, ensuring that vital provision is in place that may not be possible within a mainstream classroom.

Our Lady’s School ensures that Christ is at the heart of the school and that it is a school of choice within the locality for children and staff alike. We have a wealth of pastoral support for Parents and ensure that Parents feel supported throughout their journey at Our Lady’s. We have a number of highly successful strategies for engaging parents and carers to the benefit of all the children.

Our Lady’s School ensure that excellent structures are in place to support the wellbeing of staff and, as a result, staff feel highly valued and enjoy working at Our Lady’s.