quality & excellence - eteach · designed to give you the essence of what it means to be a part...

q u a l i t y & e x c e l l e n c e

A27716 NBreakspear Prospectus jmh 19/7/07 15:46

Each person is a unique creation of God.All of us are gifted.

Every aspect of what we think and doshould be based upon the Gospel values of

Peace, Justice, Truth and Love.

Our Mission Statement


“Nicholas Breakspear Schoolhas real strengths, including agenuine concern for children,that combines to justify theconfidence placed in it byparents and the widercommunity.”Ofsted Comment

Welcome to our schoolSelecting a secondary school is one of the most difficult andimportant decisions facing parents today. This prospectus isdesigned to give you the essence of what it means to be apart of the community that is Nicholas Breakspear CatholicSchool. Nothing, however, can replace the real thing and Ido invite you most warmly to visit us, to see us at work andto experience our special atmosphere. At NBS every day isopen day; you are always welcome.

Nicholas Breakspear Catholic School is a self-governingschool of the Catholic Diocese of Westminster. As ourmission statement says – “Everything we say and everythingwe do should be based on the Gospel values of Peace,Justice, Truth and Love”. Each individual in our community isvalued as a unique and gifted creation of God. As the onlyco-educational Catholic School in this area, we take pride instriving for quality and excellence in all that we do.

We have high expectations of our students. We expect eachstudent to work hard, to play hard, and to take a full part inthe life of the school. In return we will ensure that ourschool is a place of good order, of care and of safety wherestudents are happy and challenged to give of their best.

We aim to work very closely with parents. We firmly believethat students are more likely to flourish when they knowthat their parents and the school are working together fortheir benefit.

Philip JaksztaHead Teacher

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“The Catholic ethos is verypositive and students of allages are enthusiastic abouttheir school.”Ofsted Comment

Prayer and WorshipNicholas Breakspear is a praying community. Atthe heart of our mission are the gospel values ofPeace, Justice, Truth and Love. We reflect on thatcommitment to these values every day duringclass prayer. Prayer is at the heart of ourcommunity. Prayer is the key that unlocks ourspirituality and helps to put Catholic Christianityinto action.

Regular voluntary masses, Lenten and Christmasprayer groups offer opportunities for quietwitness. Major feast days of the Church arecelebrated in school. All students are also giventhe opportunity for retreat to reflect upon theirown faith journey in a peaceful and supportiveatmosphere.

The school runs annual pilgrimages to Rome andLourdes and our students take part in variousDiocesan youth activities.

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Pastoral CareAt Nicholas Breakspear each student is valued asa unique individual. We know our students welland they are happy here. A tried and testedsystem of pastoral care, based upon soundrelationships between students, parents, formtutors and heads of year ensures that eachstudent has a supportive environment in which toflourish. We keep parents informed with regularwritten and verbal reports. Our “Open Door”policy ensures that no problem is ignored orallowed to get out of hand.

Students with particular learning needs ordifficulties are given the support andencouragement needed to be able to fullyparticipate with confidence and dignity in the life of the school.

“Students justifiably saythey feel very well lookedafter, safe, valued andrespected.”Ofsted Comment

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“Expectations of what the students can achieve are high”Ofsted Comment

AcademicExcellenceIn all that we do in school we aim forquality and excellence. All students arechallenged to give of their best. Wemonitor each individual’s progressregularly. Our Able Student Programmeidentifies those students with particulargifts and provides them withopportunities to fly. In our mentoringprogramme, students are helped tofocus upon ways in which they mightmake the very best of their talents.Homework is a vital part of the learningprocess and each student will have aplanner in which they will record andmanage their homework tasks.

CurriculumIn Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9) all pupilsstudy Religious Education, English,Mathematics, Foreign Language, History,Geography, Environmental Education,Art, Drama, Music, Science, ICT, DesignTechnology and Physical Education.

Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) offersfurther opportunities to developparticular talents and preferences inthe options system whilst continuing to maintain a broad base of experience, including ReligiousEducation, English, Mathematics,Science, ICT, the Expressive andPerforming Arts, Humanities,Languages and Physical Education.

“The Teaching is stimulatingand vibrant.”Ofsted Comment


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“The Curriculum is planned very carefully andprovides a broad range of opportunities for all

age groups.”Ofsted Comment


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“The school has astrong tradition ofsporting and cultural activities.”Ofsted Comment

SportingCommunity


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NicholasBreakspearSpecialist SportsCollege Status

Participation in the sporting and cultural life ofthe school is part of the Nicholas Breakspeartradition. Our students have the opportunity totake part in many different activities. In thesporting area we have great success in hockey,football, rugby, netball, cricket, gymnastics andathletics. The annual Gym and Danceproduction is eagerly anticipated by all.

Nicholas Breakspear is an accredited ‘HealthySchool’ with issues such as the food in thecanteen and student and staff well-beingbecoming a priority. We are developing closelinks with many local leisure clubs and providersto enhance our students’ experience in lessonsand during “out of school hours” learning.

We have created and are embedding a culture ofstudent responsibility and leadership, so allmembers of our community benefit. Ourcommunity sports leaders in Years 12 and 13 aretaking on an organisational responsibility forstudent activities at lunch times.

We run an extensive “out of school hours”learning programme for both girls and boys ofall ages which offers competitive opportunitiesfor our students and participation experiencesin activities as diverse as football,trampolining, dance and water sports includingsailing, kayaking and dragon boat racing. A fullprogramme of competitive fixtures at local,county and national level is provided in allmajor sports.

We feel that the experience your child will gainin physical activity at this school will be anenjoyable and fulfilling one, which will enablethem to leave school equipped to enjoy ahealthy and active life.


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Outward looking community

Extra-curricular music, sport, drama and artThere is a wide range of activities outside the formal timetable in whichstudents may extend their skills and aptitudes or simply enjoythemselves. All students are encouraged to develop their talents andinterests further. Extra curricular activities in sport, drama, music, chessand many other spheres have always been very important to the life ofour school. The wide variety of field trips, theatre trips, visits to artgalleries and other cultural outings also gives rich support to work in thecurriculum. Our annual water sports trip to the south of France hasalways proved to be a popular opportunity for development. The Dukeof Edinburgh scheme allows students to develop skills of leadership,service and self-reliance, which will prove to be a lifelong asset.


CommunicatingcommunityContinuing investment has enabled usto create a rich “state of the art”Information and CommunicationsTechnology environment. This isdesigned to allow students to developthose skills and aptitudes that willequip them for the changing world ofthe 21st Century.

We are a school where ICT enhances allaspects of our work.

A school in which:• Student learning is enhanced

through the effective and efficientuse of ICT.

• Students are equipped with all thenecessary skills required for life long learning.

• Use of modern technology helps staff to support the learning of students.

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“The learning environment is improved with greatlyenhanced computer facilities.”Ofsted Comment


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Compassionate community Opportunitiesfor ServiceOur students have always shown careand compassion for those less fortunatethan themselves. This is shown in ourcharitable efforts, especially duringAdvent and Lent.

Global ContextOur place in the world family is given aparticular focus by our link withTujereng, a village in The Gambia, WestAfrica. Our partnership with thevillagers has allowed us to improvemany of their basic facilities, includingtheir school. In return we havebenefited from their rich experience ofcommunity and development.

Students, staff, governors and friendsof the school have visited Tujerengwhilst we have been privileged to playhost to village representatives visitingHertfordshire. We are also buildinglinks with schools in South Africa and Palestine.

“Students areenabled to bringthe principles oftheir missionstatement toothers in apractical way.”Ofsted Comment


Workingcommunity

PersonalDevelopmentA structured programme of Personal, Social &Health Education and Careers Education &Guidance supports the growth of theindividual enabling him or her to makeinformed choices.

Work Experience in Year 10 and in the SixthForm is a vital part of that personaldevelopment.

The school has its own farm and is dedicatedto reducing its ‘carbon footprint.’

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“Students enjoy coming to the schooland develop good personal qualities.”Ofsted Comment


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“Students are well cared for,guided and supported,reflecting the very positiveCatholic ethos of the school.”Ofsted Comment

Sixth FormNicholas Breakspear Catholic Schoolhas a large and flourishing Sixth Form ofwhich we are very proud. We workcollaboratively with three other schoolsas part of a Sixth Form consortium aswell as with the local F.E. College. Workhas taken place to expand our 14 – 19vocational opportunities. This allowsstudents to follow a varied curriculumwith a wide and impressive range ofqualifications and subjects on offer. Thepastoral care that students receive inearlier years at the school is maintainedand all students are offered support andguidance concerning Careers advice andentry in to Higher Education. Themajority of Sixth Form students progressto University including successfulapplications to Oxford and Cambridge.

There are opportunities for students toinvolve themselves in the community lifeof the school including a prefect systemand a Year 7 reading scheme. Studentsare also encouraged to develop theirpersonal skills through LeadershipChallenge. External links with a range ofcharities are maintained and the SixthForm remains committed to annual fundraising efforts on their behalf. Our HeadBoy and Head Girl provide an importantfocus for the student body andcontribute regularly to the work of thewhole school Student Council.


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Colney Heath Lane, St. Albans, Hertfordshire AL4 OTT

Tel: 01727 860079 Fax: 01727 848912

email: [email protected]


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