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;

 

We encourage a questioning approach which searches for the real truth through reason, research and debate based on freedom of thought and expression;

 

We 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;

 

We 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;

 

We provide opportunities for Christian worship in the Methodist tradition;

 

We work to promote social justice and to counter prejudice and intolerance in whatever form that takes by encouraging mutual respect and understanding;

 

We encourage an  appreciation of working together and of the importance of forgiveness, reconciliation, and renewal in establishing happy communities;

 

We encourage environmental awareness, recognising mankind’s responsibility for the welfare of the world God has created;

 

We encourage creativity as a way of nurturing the human spirit and improving the quality of life;

 

We 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;

 

We recognise the aspirations expressed in the ‘Every Child Matters’ initiative, whilst interpreting them from a Christian perspective;

 

We 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;

 

We 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;

 

We 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.

                     

 

TRURO SCHOOL PREP:

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 databases 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

1. School life should reflect the school’s Christian values. These values emphasise the absolute importance of each pupil as an individual.

2. 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.

3. The school’s pastoral care system aims to promote a frank relationship between pupil 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.

4. Pupils should be encouraged to value themselves and others by recognising their own and others’ strengths, as well as weaknesses.

5. The school aims to ensure that pupils with different cultural backgrounds are welcomed into the school community.

6. 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.

7. Pupils are encouraged to broaden their horizons. This will involve an awareness of the conditions and aspirations of other faiths and cultures.

8. The school aims to encourage freedom of opinion, responsibility, frankness, honesty and a spirit of enquiry.

9. The school aims to provide equal opportunities for both sexes. Members of staff are expected to ensure that disproportionate attention is not paid to pupils of either sex, whether singly or in groups.

 

EXTRA-CURRICULAR PROGRAMME MISSION STATEMENT

1. We encourage all pupils to become involved in at least some extra-curricular activities.

2. The benefits of such activities can include:

(i) the possibility of catching an enthusiasm that might enrich their future life;

(ii) learning a new skill;

(iii) the social value of being with other pupils (often of different ages) and with staff in a non-classroom context;

(iv) the discipline and reward of being part of a team.

3. The school recognises that the Cornish environment offers an unusual range and quality of opportunities and staff are encouraged to exploit this resource.

4. The school recognises the value of team games and understands the needs of such teams if they are to function satisfactorily, while 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, they must attend practices and matches. This is in order to make the matches possible and to offer the strongest possible side. It sometimes leads to a conflict of interests and staff running teams will always try to be as flexible as possible, balancing the needs of the team with the claims of other activities.