Mission Statements
Methodist Independent Schools Mission Statement
Methodism has a distinctive approach to education, embodying clear Christian values. This stems from the beliefs that have been at the heart of Methodism since its foundation by John and Charles Wesley in the eighteen century. That is why we:
Challenge, inspire, and support our students as individuals to grow intellectually, personally and spiritually, and achieve their best;
Encourage a questioning approach which searches for the real truth through reason, research and debate based on freedom of thought and expression;
Promote high academic standards and the development of talents through a variety of extra- curricular activities because we believe each child has God-given talents to develop;
affirm that education is about the acquisition of wisdom and humility as well as the acquisition of academic qualifications and offer Jesus Christ as a model of what it means to grow towards our full humanity;
provide opportunities for Christian worship in the Methodist tradition.
work to promote social justice and to counter prejudice and intolerance in whatever form that takes by encouraging mutual respect and understanding;
encourage an appreciation of working together and of the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal in establishing happy communities;
encourage environmental awareness, recognising mankind’s responsibility for the welfare of the world God has created;
encourage creativity as a way of nurturing the human spirit and improving the quality of life;
prepare our students to be responsible citizens and leaders in a fast-changing and complex world, respecting not only the value of cultural diversity but also our common humanity;
recognise the aspirations expressed in the ‘Every Child Matters’ initiative, whilst interpreting them from a Christian perspective;
are committed to working to the benefit of the local community in which the school is situated, whilst also generating an understanding of the concept of service to all communities, national and international;
encourage our students to refuse to accept that things have to be the way they are and to believe in larger possibilities for good because education should be an instrument for reforming and reshaping society for the better;
recognise that education is a life-long process and that the more we are given, the more is expected from us.
John Wesley told the first Methodist teachers to always remember that ‘an ounce of love was worth a pound of knowledge’ and his challenge to teacher and pupil alike was this:
‘Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as ever you can.’
That still remains our challenge today and why we see our schools aspiring to be beacons of inclusive excellence developing confident, tolerant, and enthusiastic young people who enjoy working with others and are ready to influence the world.
Senior School Mission Statements
Academic Curriculum Mission Statement
The Mission Statement of the Methodist Independent Schools is uncontentious in its content but necessarily broad in its scope. For it to be translated into practice, particularly in departmental policies and schemes of work, greater focus and detail is needed. While it is well recognised that many of the points identified here will have been long practised by experienced teachers there’s a value in stating them clearly.
Thus we aim:
To enable our pupils to achieve the highest standards of academic, cultural and athletic achievement of which they are capable.
To provide for the education of all pupils in the School irrespective of their levels of ability. This, where appropriate, includes the provision of special help in order to overcome academic difficulties.
To recognise the co-educational nature of the School and to ensure equal opportunities for, and equal treatment of, boys and girls. To approach the moral and ethical problems presented in the curriculum in the light of the fact that this is a Methodist, Christian Foundation and that Christian values predominate.
To instil a sense of discipline - particularly the self discipline that enables a pupil to make the most of his or her potential but also the imposed disciplines of punctuality, neatness and good behaviour. To recognise, where appropriate, the region in which the School is situated, the nation to which we belong and the fact that this nation is a part of Europe - for instance in subject matter, use of example and field work.
To encourage teachers to develop their skills and enthusiasms by means of guidance, encouragement, departmental meetings and INSET training, and by implementation of the Staff Review (Appraisal) arrangements.
To record the progress of pupils so that their progress can be monitored and so that expectations of achievement can be appropriate.
To use varied, imaginative and lively approaches to teaching so that pupils are excited and stimulated by the learning experience.
To help pupils to learn to plan their work, to set it out logically and in the appropriate form for the subject matter.
To ensure that our pupils are helped to acquire knowledge from a variety of sources and in a variety of ways - written and spoken word, film and television, in discussion and in didactic teaching, in experiment.
To teach pupils both to work on their own and to work with others.
To encourage effective communication - written, spoken and visual.
To encourage the use of modern technology, for instance in word processing, use of data bases etc.
To develop in our pupils a critical approach to ideas, to help develop their thought processes and to encourage them to use their imagination.
To be aware of the demands of the National Curriculum and to follow it, at least in its broad terms.
Pastoral Care Mission Statement
School life should reflect the school’s Christian values. These values emphasise the absolute importance of each pupil as an individual.
The pastoral programme aims to create a safe and caring environment in which pupils feel supported. They should be able to discuss the problems and challenges associated with the progression from childhood through puberty and adolescence to adulthood.
Thus pupils will be encouraged to develop socially, morally, spiritually and academically, so achieving the aim of living successful, independent and fulfilling lives, and realising their potential as human beings. The school recognises that there is more to education than academic success, important though it is.
The school’s pastoral care system aims to promote a frank relationship between pupils and staff, and to encourage mutual sharing, trust and respect so that there will be no place for isolation or loneliness. At the same time, the school respects pupils’ right to privacy.
Pupils should be encouraged to value themselves and others by recognising their own and others’ strengths, as well as weaknesses.
The school aims to ensure that pupils with different cultural backgrounds are welcomed into the school community.
Pupils are taught to recognise that actions have consequences and the school’s part should be to encourage them to take this responsibility as early as possible.
Pupils are encouraged to broaden their horizons. This will involve an awareness of the conditions and aspirations of other faiths and cultures.
The school aims to encourage freedom of opinion, responsibility, frankness, honesty and a spirit of enquiry.
The school aims to provide equal opportunities for both sexes and all pupils regardless of their ethnic origin. Members of staff are expected to ensure that disproportionate attention is not paid to pupils of either sex, whether singly or in groups. The school has an anti-racism policy which was written with student input.
Extra-Curricular Activities Mission Statement
As part of our commitment to developing the whole pupil, we encourage all pupils to become involved in extra-curricular activities.
The benefits of such activities can include:
(i) maintaining or developing a healthy lifestyle in activities that will enrich their current and future lives;
(ii) learning a new skill or developing an existing one in a safe environment;
(iii) enjoyment gained from undertaking activities with other pupils, often of different ages, and with staff in a non-classroom context;
(iv) satisfaction gained from making a positive contribution to an activity; (v) the discipline and reward of being part of a team.
The school recognises that the Cornish environment offers an unusual range and quality of opportunities and staff are encouraged to exploit this resource.
In order to ensure participation by all pupils, all pupils in the First to Fifth Form undertake an enrichment activity on Wednesday afternoons. Sixth Form students are encouraged to assist in the running of these activities and participation in the activities by Sixth Form students is welcome when practicable.
Pupils are given a choice of activities and will usually be able to undertake one of their top three choices. Changes are possible during each term, providing activities have not reached their capacity and that the changes are for good reasons. Pupils required to represent the school in a sporting activity must attend these practices and fixtures on Wednesday afternoons.
All members of staff are expected to be involved in this afternoon scheme, and it is hoped that they run, or help run, activities which interest them. Some staff are involved only in supervision or transport, whilst others will run subject based clinics for Sixth Form students.
Some groups are very small or have a low pupil:staff ratio, but this is acceptable in order to preserve minority interests.
In the Summer Term the Fifth Form undertake Private Study to prepare for their forthcoming GCSE examinations.
The school recognises the value of team games and understands the needs of such teams if they are to function satisfactorily, whilst also recognising that other forms of non-team or less strenuous activity may be just as valuable. If a pupil is required to play for a team in order to make the matches possible and to offer the strongest possible side, they must attend practices and matches. This sometimes leads to a conflict of interests and staff running teams, in conjunction with the Coordinator of Co-curricular activities, will always try to be as flexible as possible, balancing the needs of the team with the claims of other activities.
The school encourages staff to offer extra-curricular activities outside of the Wednesday afternoon programme and much is undertaken at lunch times, after school and at weekends.
Details of all clubs, activities and sports practices can be found at the back of the termly Calendar.
Boarding Mission Statement
The most important aim is to provide all the advantages of boarding education within the wider ethos of the school as a whole. Among the aims of boarding education here, are the following:
To live a life which provides pupils with an important moral and social education: they have to “get on with people” with many different personalities and backgrounds; they are likely to encounter many situations (major and minor) which call into question a huge range of issues requiring moral judgement. (e.g. respect for other people’s property and personality; the problems of peer-group pressure; the relationship between work and leisure etc etc). All this will occur in the context of the care and guidance of the house staff; such issues will be discussed in house meetings and other group discussion as well as in individual contact with staff. Pupils will also be given opportunities for taking responsibility - particularly as they get older, in doing so allowing them to make a positive contribution to the boarding community. The prefect system is one way in which this is done.
The aim is to promote a particular quality of personal relationships. This is sometimes known as “the hidden curriculum” of boarding schools, and pupils who have benefited from it tend to find the transition to Higher Education, for example, easier than those who have lived at home until they are 18 or 19. One aim of boarding, to quote one Housemaster, is to “produce good parents of the future”.
To live in a routine which is conducive to good academic performance and provides opportunities for extra-curricular activities, in order to enjoy and achieve. The first aim entails following a regular routine of prep during the evenings together as a group (which is supervised in the earlier years but which entails greater responsibility and self-organisation later). An incidental advantage is that pupils have some opportunity during the evenings to consult staff on academic matters.
The second allows Boarders to participate in a vast array of enjoyable activities, some active to help promote healthy lifestyles, others more creative and relaxing. While providing these advantages of communal living, the school also respects the pupils’ need for privacy, and their rights to some of the features of home-life.
The role of the resident House Staff is a vitally important one: they establish the “tone” of relationships within the house. At present most are married and have families of their own. They are people that the boarders get to know very well, and that inspire the confidence of pupils. The School expects them to provide pupils with sympathetic attention when they need support and advice; they are also expected to maintain a clear and firm framework of discipline in which the pupils can grow up well. House Staff are also expected to maintain good contacts with parents. The House Staff meet regularly both informally and formally as a group: the purpose of such meetings is not only administrative but also to promote a common sense of purpose. ‘Life Lessons’ are led by the House Staff, as parents would at home, on such matters as e-safety, growing up, managing finances, relationships and personal safety. All House Masters and Mistresses (and Assistants) also have academic teaching qualifications in a variety of subject areas.
Truro School Prep Mission Statements
ACADEMIC MISSION STATEMENT
We believe that learning should be fun, stimulating, but also rigorous.
We aim to:
Educate the whole child, through a curriculum that is broad in its scope and rigorous in its delivery, and leads naturally towards achievement in the six key areas of the Truro Prep Diploma; the Academic Core of English, Maths and Science, Humanities (Geography, History and Religious Education), Performing Arts (Music and Drama), Creative Arts (Design Technology and Art), Sport and Outdoor Activity and finally, Life-Skills (ICT, Foreign Languages, Cooking and First Aid); awarded at the end of Year 6;
Teach pupils using a range of methods, to accommodate the variety of learning styles that different individuals have, incorporating a range of specifically taught thinking skills and in a variety of learning contexts, such as outdoors and on school trips;
Teach pupils using subject specialists when and where appropriate in the widest possible range of subjects making use of the most appropriate resources and facilities for the teaching of each subject;
Develop pupils’ independent learning skills;
Have high expectations of the pupils and to recognise and develop their individual abilities and talents, through careful assessment and appropriate encouragement;
Encourage a life-long love of learning in our pupils, not just to prepare them for the next stage of their education, but to enable them to lead fulfilling lives as responsible and active members of society.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES MISSION STATEMENT
As part of our commitment to educating and developing the ‘whole child’ we recognise the importance of providing a wide range of extracurricular activities.
We aim to provide activities which will:
help pupils maintain and develop a healthy lifestyle;
enrich their current and future lives;
enable pupils to learn new skills in a safe and supportive environment;
enable pupils to gain enjoyment from working with others (both pupils and staff) in a non classroom environment;
prepare pupils for further education and the world of work through developing skills such as self-discipline and commitment, team work and leadership skills and greater self-confidence;
engender an appreciation and respect for the natural surroundings and resources to be found in Cornwall.
The school encourages inclusion in a wide range of individual and team sports. As part of this provision pupils are encouraged and given the opportunities to represent their school or house in matches and tournaments both locally and in other parts of the country.
The school seeks to promote and recognise publicly the value of these activities through areas such as celebration assemblies, school publications, speech days and their inclusion in initiatives such as the Truro Prep Diploma.
PASTORAL CARE MISSION STATEMENT
We want the children in our school to be happy and to enjoy their time at school, because happy children will learn:
Therefore we aim to:
create and maintain an ethos that is warm, friendly and reflective of family life, which values each pupil as an individual with particular needs and talents to be nurtured. We also aim for each pupil to take an active part in the life of the school and to recognise their responsibilities within that community;
create an environment that is caring, safe and supportive, where each child feels able to talk to the adult staff with confidence about their needs and any difficulties they may be having, sharing success and seeking advice where needed.
establish clear rules and boundaries for the pupils through the consistent application of the behaviour policy. We acknowledge the need for clear guidance on bullying and assert that under no circumstances will bullying behaviours be tolerated or deemed acceptable.
The school makes every effort to ensure the pupils’ welfare is protected through robust Child Protection and Safeguarding policies. Discrimination of any sort is unacceptable and all effort is made to foster respect for the differences of gender, race and abilities that pupils may encounter both inside and outside of school.
help pupils prepare to face the challenges of growing up in this modern world with confidence, enthusiasm and understanding, in a way that reflects the school’s Methodist, Christian ethos and values, through the whole curriculum and through a well-developed programme of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) delivered through lessons, assemblies and form time.
educate pupils to have mutual respect for all cultural backgrounds.
We recognise that this presents a particular challenge in Cornwall, therefore the curriculum aims to reflect the cultural diversity of life within the UK and to draw upon the global perspective and ethos of the Methodist Church.
SPIRITUAL MISSION STATEMENT
Truro Prep is proud of its Methodist foundation and ethos.
We aim to:
Uphold Christian principles in the daily life of the school, in the interaction between pupils, staff, parents and the wider community. Pupils and staff participate in weekly services and celebrate the important Christian festivals. The Prep School shares the services and pastoral care of a chaplain with the senior school.
Deepen the understanding and experience of a loving God and encourages a love and concern for fellow pupils and colleagues within the school.
The school welcomes pupils from other religious traditions and backgrounds. The religious education curriculum includes the study of major world religions and key festivals and holy days in other faith communities are acknowledged and respected.