Ready to Learn

Our ethos, ‘learning together, succeeding together, inspiring excellence’ epitomises our approach at St Katherine’s.

We challenge everyone within our school community to live and breathe our values evey day:

ACCEPTANCE | RESPECT | HONESTY | DETERMINATION | EQUALITY | EXCELLENCE FRIENDSHIP | ASPIRATION | RESILIENCE | RESPONSIBILITY

Our 3Rs (Respect, Responsibility, Resilience) underpin our conversations with pupils so everyone understands our expectations.

In summary a St Katherine’s pupil is expected to:

  • be respectful by listening and speaking politely
  • be responsible by arriving on time and fully equipped
  • be resilient by remaining on task and working hard

READY TO LEARN SYSTEM

Every pupil at St Katherine’s has the right to learn in an environment that is free from disruption where all pupils can learn and all teachers can teach

Ready to Learn is based on the belief that all pupils can and should take responsibility for their actions. It is built around our expectation that all pupils to be ’ready to learn’ so teachers can focus on the learning taking place within the classroom to maximise pupil progress.

Ready to Learn covers all aspects of school life, ensuring fairness and consistency and maximising achievement and success. Ready to Learn will strengthen the ‘learning triangle’ between staff, pupils and parents/carers to ensure we are all participants in our young people’s education and support them to learn in an environment where they can make great progress in every lesson, every day.

Ready to Learn is the result of feedback from pupils and staff highlighting they wanted greater consistency across the school in embedding our climate for learning and minimising disruption to learning caused by low level disruption. For example, arriving late to lesson, not having the correct equipment, talking unnecessarily or chatting, calling out, being slow to start work or follow instructions, showing a lack of respect for each other and staff.

Expectations of all pupils

Our expectations of all pupils are very clear. Pupils must meet our expectations and take responsibility for being a St Katherine’s pupil by being Ready to Learn. If a member of staff asks a pupil to do something, they must do it. We will always use clear language in our expectations – “This is a reasonable request. I expect a reasonable response”.  If the pupil refuses or walks away they will be sent to the Ready to Learn room.

In the classroom and around the school pupils are expected to:

Be respectful

  • Treat everyone and everything with respect at all times
  • Listen carefully and follow all staff instructions first time
  • Listen when others are talking
  • Put your hand up and avoid calling out
  • Respect school property
  • Speak appropriately with no bad language or prejudicial bullying language or behaviour
  • Engage when being spoken to and never walk away
  • Show good manners i.e.holding doors open for each other, greeting visitors politely
  • Clear away after yourself
  • Respect the needs of others
  • Keep left in corridors and avoid contact

Be responsible

  • Have a positive attitude
  • Be punctual
  • Show kindness every day
  • Arrive in class within 3 minutes of the bell
  • Have all the required equipment
  • Keep mobiles phones and earphones out of sight during tutor, lessons and lesson changeover
  • Walk around the site and run only on the courts and fields
  • Eat and drink outside or in the canteen at break time and/or lunchtime
  • Go to the toilet at break time and lunchtime
  • Put your litter in a bin
  • Speak calmly to each other without shouting
  • Wear all items of uniform correctly and with pride at all times
  • Have a pass for incorrect uniform/items
  • No involvement in serious incidents

Be resilient

  • Work hard to complete all work to the best of your ability
  • Understand and accept your own strengths and weaknesses
  • Develop problem solving skills
  • Self control
  • Set personal goals with realistic expectations
  • Learn from your mistakes
  • Be willing to overcome difficulties rather than avoid problems
  • Be optimistic in your thinking
  • Refuse to give in when facing a challenge or set back
  • Be able to recognise your own emotions and those of others
  • Develop social skills and the ability to seek assistance from others