At St Clare’s, our Catholic faith is at the heart of who we are and shapes every aspect of school life. Our Mission Statement, “With Jesus, we learn to love and love to learn,” expresses our belief that education is not only about academic achievement, but about forming the whole child. We want every child to grow in knowledge, faith, confidence, compassion and character, developing the gifts God has given them and learning how to use those gifts in the service of others.

Our Mission is lived through our school values of Respect, Resilience, Honesty, Love, Compassion and Inclusion. These values provide a shared language for our children and help them understand how the teachings of Jesus can be lived out through everyday choices. We see our Mission in action when children welcome someone who is new, persevere when learning is difficult, tell the truth when they have made a mistake, show forgiveness, care for someone who is upset, stand up for what is right and make sure that others feel included.

Our Catholic identity is also rooted in our Franciscan heritage. St Clare’s was founded by Franciscan Sisters, and the example of St Francis and St Clare continues to inspire our school today. Their commitment to prayer, simplicity, peace, service, care for the poor and love of creation can be seen in the way we encourage children to treat every person with dignity, care for our common home and recognise their responsibility towards others.

Our Catholic Curriculum

Our Catholic mission is reflected throughout the curriculum. We seek to help children understand that faith is not something separate from learning, but something that can help them make sense of themselves, other people and the world around them.

Religious Education is central to our curriculum. Our Catholic curriculum also extends beyond Religious Education. Across subjects, children are encouraged to ask thoughtful questions, recognise the dignity of others, consider different perspectives and think about their responsibility for the world around them. We purposefully choose role models for children to learn about who show faith and belief in action. We want children to develop not only knowledge, but wisdom, curiosity, moral courage and a desire to make a positive contribution to society.

Catholic Social Teaching

Catholic Social Teaching is an important part of the Catholic life and curriculum of St Clare’s. It helps children understand how the Gospel calls us to respond to the world around us and gives them a framework for putting their faith into action.

At the heart of Catholic Social Teaching is Human Dignity: the belief that every person is created in the image and likeness of God and is therefore precious. This closely reflects our values of Respect, Love and Inclusion and helps children understand why everyone should be treated fairly and with compassion.

Catholic Social Teaching is not simply something children learn about in lessons. We want them to recognise it in their own lives. When a child includes someone who is lonely, shares with someone in need, cares for the environment, speaks up against unfairness or uses their gifts to help others, they are putting Catholic Social Teaching into action.

Prayer, Worship and Parish Life

Prayer and liturgy give a spiritual rhythm to our school. Children pray throughout the day and experience Scripture, reflection, music, Celebration of the Word and whole-school worship. They are encouraged to become increasingly active in planning, leading and evaluating prayer, enabling them to grow in confidence and develop their own relationship with God.

Our relationship with Our Lady of Light and St Osyth Parish Church strengthens our Catholic identity and helps children understand that they belong to a wider community of faith. The relationship between home, school and parish allows children to experience the Church as a living community and to make connections between what they learn, what they celebrate and how they are called to live.

Living Our Mission

Ultimately, the Catholic Life and Mission of St Clare’s is about helping every child understand that faith should make a difference to the way we live.

Through our Catholic curriculum, prayer and liturgy, Catholic Social Teaching, Franciscan heritage and relationships with our parish and wider community, we seek to form children who are compassionate, thoughtful, resilient and courageous. We want them to recognise the dignity of every person, care for creation, stand alongside those in need and understand that they have the ability to make a positive difference in the world.

Pastoral Care

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.”
Galatians 6:2

At St Clare’s, we believe in nurturing and supporting the whole child. We know that children learn best when they feel safe, understood, valued and supported, and our pastoral care is an important part of the way we help every child to flourish.

Our pastoral provision supports children’s emotional wellbeing, social development, relationships and wider needs beyond the academic classroom. If a parent or carer has a concern, question or feels that their child may need additional support, we encourage them to speak with us. We can offer reassurance, discuss appropriate next steps, signpost families towards further help or put additional support in place within school.

We are fortunate to have a Family Liaison Worker and counsellor in school, providing additional support for children and families when needed. This helps us to work closely with parents and carers and to respond early when a child may be experiencing difficulties.

We also provide dedicated nurture provision, led by trained nurture practitioners. This gives children a supportive, structured environment in which they can develop confidence, emotional regulation, social skills and positive relationships.

Our ELSA practitioner offers targeted emotional literacy support, helping children to understand and manage their feelings, develop resilience, build self-esteem and cope with challenges such as friendship difficulties, worries, loss or change.

As a school, we are trained in Trauma Perceptive Practice. This helps staff to understand how children’s experiences can affect their behaviour, emotions and ability to learn. It supports us in responding to children with empathy, consistency and appropriate support, while maintaining clear expectations and helping them to feel safe and secure.

We also have a separate SEN Hub, which provides additional targeted provision for children with special educational needs. This enables us to offer carefully planned support in an environment suited to individual needs, while helping children remain connected to the wider life of the school.

Our pastoral approach is rooted in our Catholic belief that every child is precious, unique and loved by God. Through strong relationships, early support and a range of specialist provision, we aim to ensure that every child feels known, included and supported to grow in confidence and reach their full potential.

Our Mission brings all of this together