---
title: "Our School Mission - \"Values & Ethos\""
url: "https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/our-school/our-school-mission"
school: "St. Bernard's Catholic Primary School & Nursery (part of Mater Ecclesiae Catholic M.A.T.)"
---

# Our School Mission - "Values & Ethos"

**You are precious in my eyes**

*“Together as a family community we aim to shine and achieve”.*

**We aim to:**

- Love and value every individual
- Seek to help everyone to be the best that they can be.
- Keep God at the centre of all that we do.

**Our Values:**

**Integrity** (honest, trustworthy, genuine, congruent)

*“May integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you, O Lord” Psalm 25:21*

| We will: | We will **not**: |
|---|---|
| - Take ownership of actions, decisions and mistakes to help us learn and grow | - Say one thing and do another |
| - Be open and honest in our communications | - Blame others, hide mistakes or avoid accountability |
| - Keep commitments and follow through on promises | - Achieve goals through cheating or bending the rules |
| - Treat everyone fairly and with respect | - Spread negative or confidential information |
| - Be respectful of sensitive information and privacy | - Turn a blind eye to wrongdoing |
| - Do the right thing even when it is uncomfortable or inconvenient |  |
| - Check and reflect that our behaviours match our values |  |

**Excellence** (learning, growth, curiosity, aspire, achieve, work together)

*“But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you – see that you excel in this act of grace also” Corinthians 8:7*

| We will: | We will **not**: |
|---|---|
| - Take opportunities to learn, actively seek feedback and learn from mistakes to always improve | - Fail to show up, perform inconsistently or lose sight of what’s important |
| - Be ambitious, taking pride in all we do, paying attention to detail | - Coast and settle for “good enough” |
| - Take the initiative and trust ourselves and each other to work collaboratively and solve problems | - Interrupt, display a negative attitude or behave in a way that disrupts the team |
| - Always do our best to achieve our potential and celebrate high standards | - Think we know it all and lack the humility to learn and improve |
| - Deliver high quality results consistently, not just occasionally, to achieve our potential and celebrate high standards | - Neglect to explain why decisions are made |
| - Maintain a positive attitude, adjusting approaches to overcome obstacles and persevering through setbacks | - Prioritise quick wins over long-term, sustainable quality |
|  | - Avoid necessary conversations and take the path of least resistance |

**Resilience** (Bravery, effort, determination, persistence, patience)

*“God, I’m not strong enough on my own – but you are.  You give life and new hope.  Help me rely upon your strength and power today, and to find life and freedom in you.  Amen.”  Pope Leo XIV*

| We will: | We will **not**: |
|---|---|
| - View challenges, failures and setbacks as opportunities for learning and personal growth | - Dwell on problems, brood or catastrophise rather than focusing on solutions |
| - Adapt to change, being flexible and open to new ways of working | - Blame others and fail to take personal responsibility |
| - Take the initiative to solve problems and improve skills, rather than waiting for things to happen | - Quit goals too early due to fear or discomfort |
| - Maintain purpose, aligning daily tasks with a larger sense of meaning | - Persist with unachievable goals, leading to burnout |
| - Keep a generally hopeful and positive outlook, even while acknowledging the difficulty of a situation | - Complain excessively about annoyances |
| - Prioritise our self-care and wellness to build the energy needed to withstand stress | - Isolate ourselves when feeling low |

**Compassion** (love, encourage, help, care, forgive, listen, accept)

*“And he arose and came to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him” Luke 15:20*

| We will: | We will **not**: |
|---|---|
| - Actively listen with full attention, without judgement or immediately offering advice | - Turn away from suffering, purposefully ignoring or disengaging from someone who is in pain |
| - Provide support/help such as helping with tasks, volunteering time or providing resources | - Fail to put ourselves in another’s shoes to understand their distress |
| - Validate the feelings of others by acknowledging their pain (“I am so sorry this is happening to you”) rather than dismissing or minimising it | - Respond to mistakes or failures with coldness rather than warmth |
| - Forgive, letting go of resentment and offering second chances | - Prioritise personal comfort or gain over the wellbeing of others |
| - Treat individuals with dignity regardless of their circumstances | - Use negative communication channels to spread information that undermines others |
| - Have the compassion and courage to intervene | - Engage in harmful, competitive or aggressive behaviour instead of collaboration |
| - Treat ourselves with the same kindness and understanding as one would a friend | - Suppress our emotions by not allowing ourselves to feel or acknowledge personal distress |
| - Be consistent; rather than a one-off act, true compassion is a sustained way of interacting with others and ourselves | - Create environments that lack belonging, trust or safety |

**Joy** (passion, positivity, fulfilment, laughter, friendship,)

*“This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” Psalm 118:24*

| We will: | We will **not**: |
|---|---|
| - Regularly thank each other and recognise contributions publicly or privately | - Isolate ourselves or resist building relationships viewing social interaction as a drain |
| - Celebrate personal and professional milestones, such as work anniversaries, project completion or life events | - Constantly focus on problems, speak negatively about each other or spread rumours which drains energy and fosters distrust |
| - Incorporate playfulness, such as celebrating with themes or using humour to diffuse tension | - Act out in defensive, rigid or hyper-competitive ways rather than adapting to change |
| - Act as mentors who prioritise the growth and well-being of our team (leaders) | - Procrastinate, fearing new projects or actively dodging tasks due to a lack of motivation or confidence |
| - Use autonomy to make decisions and select work methods whilst remaining in line with school policy | - See constructive criticism as a personal attack rather than a growth opportunity |
| - Trust that the motives and intentions of our colleagues and leaders are genuine | - Use passive aggression to express negative feelings indirectly rather than communicating openly and directly |
| - Actively look for the “why” behind tasks and find ways to find work more personally relevant | - Assume that the motives and intentions of our colleagues and leaders are disingenuous |
| - Design workspaces with natural light, plants and areas for gathering | - Neglect sleep, exercise and diet which diminishes the energy required to cope with workplace stress |
| - Promote mindfulness, meditation and exercise while respecting work-life balance | - |
| - Protect our wellbeing by managing workloads and disconnecting during breaks | - |

### About Us

- [Headteacher Welcome](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/our-school/welcome)
- [Our Vision & Values](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/our-school/our-school-mission)
- [Our Governors](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/our-school/governors)
- [Our Staff](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/our-school/staff)
- [Our Trust](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/our-school/mater-ecclesiae-multi-academy-trust)

   ![School Logo](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/images/icon/St.Benards-eblem-Colour.png)St. Bernard's Catholic Primary School & Nursery   Victoria Park Avenue, Lea, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 1RP

### About The Trust

Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Trust

 W\_rkspace 3 Caxton Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 9ZZ

 [Visit Trust Website](https://mecmat.org/)

### Quick Links

### Office 365

  [Sign in to Office 365](https://outlook.office.com/)

  [![Trust Mark](https://www.stbernards.mecmat.org/images/images/Diocese_of_Lancaster_In_Line_White.png)](https://www.lrcd.org.uk/)

   ©  St. Bernard's Catholic Primary School & Nursery. All rights reserved. St. Bernard's Catholic Primary School & Nursery operates as an academy under Mater Ecclesiae Catholic Multi-Academy Trust. Company Limited by Guarantee | Company Registration No: 13882215 | Registered Office: W_rkspace, 3 Caxton Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9ZZ, England.

  School & Trust Websites by ![Vendor Logo](https://the-blessed-sacrament-catholic-primary-school.schudio.com/img/logo/light.png)

   [ 01772 728153 ](tel:+01772728153) \| [ bursar@stbernards.mecmat.org ](mailto:bursar@stbernards.mecmat.org) \|

  Follow: [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/stbernardsprimarypreston/)

 QUICK LINKS

### Quick Links