ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE A Science Specialist College
OUR CORE AIMS AND VALUES
St Joseph’s College seeks to develop the whole person. Since our foundation in 1932, St Joseph’s College has been a forward thinking, outward facing community, providing the very best environment and atmosphere to foster excellence inside and outside the classroom. We are an outstanding school with specialist status for Science and Mathematics and a designated Teaching School since 2012. St Joseph’s College is a co-educational, Catholic Academy providing places for both Catholic and nonCatholic pupils aged 11-19 and is part of the Edmund Rice family of schools, founded by the Christian Brothers and following the teachings of Blessed Edmund Rice.
OFSTED
Encourage, support...
St Joseph’s College is an outstanding school in which the Catholic Ethos underpins the work of the school and the school successfully develops the whole person and strives for academic excellence.
DIOCESAN INSPECTION St Joseph’s College is an outstanding school inspired by the Christian Brothers’ vision for Catholic Education.
We are inspired in our mission by the vision of life that is found in the teaching of the Gospel, the Church and in Jesus who came so that we ‘may have life, and have it to the full’. In striving to fulfil this mission, we continue the work of the Christian Brothers and its founder - Blessed Edmund Rice. In practice, this means that we seek to:
‘Act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God’.
...and inspire
Encourage, support and inspire young people and the wider school community in the journey of faith Create a well-ordered community where everyone is valued and respected Develop the intellectual, creative, physical, spiritual and religious potential of every pupil and encourage involvement in extracurricular activities such as sport, music, drama and community service
Work in partnership with parents, parishes, local industry and commerce and the wider community in a spirit of mutual service and benefit to all Prepare our young people for life beyond school and in particular to develop personal integrity, moral values and a sense of justice so that they ‘act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God’
A CHALLENGING, ASPIRATIONAL AND INSPIRATIONAL ENVIRONMENT Founded in Christian principles, the culture at St Joseph’s creates compassionate, confident, resilient and reflective learners with a strong sense of social justice. Students leave the college well-prepared for adulthood and with a strong sense of the role they must play to change the world for the better. OUR RELIGIOUS CHARACTER Although we are avowedly Catholic we embrace children from all faiths who, once at St Joseph’s, will share our spiritual life throughout their days at the college. Our faith is celebrated in Religious Education lessons, masses, chaplaincy groups and by students actively engaging in community service and going on retreats. We understand completely the importance of supporting our young people in the transition from one school to another and indeed throughout their school life.
We therefore place great emphasis on the pastoral system that underpins every child’s progress and the sense of belonging and togetherness that comes from the college House system. We endeavour to create a sense of belonging and mutual respect for every student; a culture where taking part and celebrating success is endemic , whatever the area of skill.
A sense of belonging, celebrating success
DIOCESAN INSPECTION The School demonstrates outstanding community cohesion that is rooted in a Christian understanding of the dignity of the person.
OUR CHARITABLE ENDEAVOURS
Caring for those in greater need than ourselves is an essential element of our ethos. St Joseph’s students work selflessly not just to raise funds and awareness for many local, national and international causes but also to volunteer and support wherever they can.
ASPIRE TO BE MORE St Joseph’s is proud of its Science and Maths Specialism and its culture built on traditional values and the pursuit of excellence. We have an outstanding record of academic performance with our results consistently placing us in the top rank of state and private schools nationwide. We seek to provide the highest quality teaching and expect the highest standards of work and behaviour. All students agree aspirational targets which will challenge them to unlock their potential. Meticulous and regular monitoring of progress encourages and assists students in meeting these challenges and keeps parents engaged in the all-important combination of home and school support. St Joseph’s has a broad and balanced curriculum which is diverse and motivational and continually evolving to meet the needs of a dynamic society.
Our facilities and learning spaces are enhanced year on year. The most recent additions include an extension to our first-rate Music block, a dedicated Sixth Form study area known as the Fideliter building and a magnificent sports hall, aptly named the Fortiter building, which has significantly improved our sports provision. In our constant drive for improvement and challenge, St Joseph’s has also become one of the early schools to win the accolade of National Teaching School status. This means we now provide Initial Teacher Training for new entrants into the profession, as well as programs for the professional development of existing teachers and leadership support for schools across the City and beyond.
Outstanding record of academic performance...
OFSTED St Joseph’s College strives for excellence in everything it does.
...with a broad and balanced curriculum
OFSTED The Sixth Form provides an outstanding quality of education. Sixth formers have a real sense of personal, social and moral awareness. Preparation for life beyond school is excellent. This school is not complacent.
The student experience is enriched by opportunities to take
OFSTED
SIXTH FORM Our aim is that students leave with a clear set of moral values on which to base their lives; we support and challenge them to be the leaders of tomorrow. We want our young people to be well-mannered, accomplished and yet humble. We welcome both our own pupils and those from across the city and beyond to join our Sixth Form, taking great care to introduce newcomers to our ethos and spirit. At Stone House, St Joseph’s Sixth Form centre, students enjoy their own state of the art teaching, learning and study facilities as well as a separate dining room and social space. This is now complemented by additional independent study space at the nearby Fideliter building.
Students are encouraged to aspire to go on to continue their studies at University, including at the world’s very best institutions, however we respect and support the desire of an increasing number of students to consider more direct pathways into employment including apprenticeships and higher education programmes.
The student experience is enriched by opportunities to take part in an eclectic range of life-enhancing pursuits including community service, the prefect system, music, sport, drama, retreats and charitable work.
part in an eclectic range of life-enhancing pursuits
The combination of individual support, detailed monitoring of students’ progress and outstanding teaching has been successful in ensuring the academic success of students.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
OFSTED Relationships between staff and students and amongst students are excellent
At St Joseph’s we place great emphasis on enriching and enhancing the learning of our young people by encouraging them to try new challenges and experiences that will develop them as individuals beyond their academic studies. Staff at St Joseph’s gain huge satisfaction from dedicating time, energy and expertise to develop passions that will last a life time. Whilst St Joseph’s has a wide reputation for sporting excellence, above all we encourage participation in sport for all. Our main sports are rugby, netball, hockey, cricket, athletics, basketball, badminton, rowing and tennis. Music is at the heart of this happy school with our orchestras, choirs and various ensembles performing inside the school, across the community and even internationally. Our dramatic productions win plaudits for their flair and ambition and are always highly enjoyable for all.
If an individual shows a particular talent we will do our utmost to foster, encourage and promote that talent whatever the field. We are immensely proud of the award winning performances of many of our pupils but always encourage fair play and perseverance in addition to a winning mentality.
OFSTED
‘Fideliter et Fortiter’ ‘Faithful and Strong’
Relationships between staff and students are superb. Students’ personal development and well-being are exceptional. Behaviour and attendance are first rate: students really enjoy school and all that it offers.
www.stjosephstrentvale.com
www.stjosephstrentvale.com
ST JOSEPH’S COLLEGE
St Joseph’s College, Trent Vale, Stoke in Trent, ST4 5NT Switchboard: 01782 848008 sjcollege@stjosephsmail.com www.stjosephstrentvale.com