E St Thomas More o m m u n i t y Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012:Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012...

St Thomas MoreCatholic Teaching School

Specialising in Humanitiesand Leadership

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Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012:Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012 05/10/2013 18:23

There is a strong student voice at St Thomas Morewhich embraces and supports community

cohesion at all levels.

(Cultural Diversity Gold Award)

Primus Servus Dei

There is little doubt that St Thomas More Catholic Teaching School is a special place for students tolearn and grow. Students enjoy astonishing levels of success with outcomes that rank among the very

best in the country and are among the reasons why we are graded as Outstanding by both OFSTEDand the Diocese of Northampton.

All schools hope to be successful, but it is the way that this is achieved that sets St Thomas More outas being distinct and special and is a direct reflection of our Mission Statement.

Our first duty as a school is to care for students and to help them achieve the best that is possible.Achieving these two core aims is something of a balancing act, but in recent years St Thomas More

School has done just that by bringing together an ambition for academic excellence with acommitment to service and the development of faith.

As a result, students at St Thomas More are confident in their expression of faith, are committed toservice to others and are successful in their academic studies. Moreover, they leave school with the

skills and characteristics that are required to meet the challenges of adult life.

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Joe Richardson,Headteacher

Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012:Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012 05/10/2013 18:23

There is a strong student voice at St Thomas Morewhich embraces and supports community

cohesion at all levels.

(Cultural Diversity Gold Award)Wel

com

e

It is my great privilege to be the Head of St Thomas More Catholic Teaching School. It is an excellent school with a fantastic Sixth Form. Above all, it is a special place for students to learn and grow.

The school community is rightly proud of its achievements in recent years. These successes include:In the top 100 most improved schools in the country (Department of Education, 2013)

Graded Outstanding (OFSTED, 2011)Graded Outstanding (Diocese of Northampton, 2011)

Awarded Teaching School Status (National College, 2011)These fine achievements are thanks to the hard work of teachers and students. We all expect the very best for our students.

Most schools judged Outstanding would seek to consolidate 'a job well done' - not so at St Thomas More School! It is a measure of our commitment and high ambition that having secured our Outstanding

status, we then pushed for further improvement between 2011 and now. We set ambitious targets for students in line with the top 10% of schools across the country and expect the vast majority to meet or

exceed that level.St Thomas More School is characterised by Outstanding Leadership at all levels of the organisation. I am

blessed to work with some truly exceptional leaders who place the needs of students at the centre of every decision. It is through their integrity and commitment that staff new to the profession are inspired

to work in the right way - the St Thomas More way!

"The glory of God is each person fully alive!" (St Irenaeus)

We believe each student is unique and created in the image of God. God has blessed our students with talents, skills and characters all of their own and it is our duty to support them as they make the most of their God-given talents. The quote from St Irenaeus says so much about this process. If we are to ensure

students are to be 'fully alive' they must realise their potential. So, learners must learn, dancers must dance, footballers must play, scientists must investigate and lovers of stories must read.

Not all students find learning straight forward and many students face obstacles that are not of their own making. We all find times when the going gets tough, when we need reassurance, when we need some-

one to walk with us. At St Thomas More we walk alongside those students, only leaving them when they are strong enough to continue their mission alone. All students succeed! All students are proud to be a part of our community, and should you choose our school for your child, I can assure you that they also

will be well nurtured and cared for both academically and spiritually.

Alison Wilshaw,Headteacher

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There is little doubt that St Thomas More Catholic Teaching School is a special place for students tolearn and grow. Students enjoy astonishing levels of success with outcomes that rank among the very

ieved that sets St Thomas More out

15/09/2014 18:10

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The fantastic achievement of gaining TeachingSchool status needs to be seen in context. The onlyschools that could apply for the status were thoserated outstanding in teaching and learning byOfsted. And of all those that applied only 100schools were appointed in the UK as a whole – weare one of the 100 selected.

As both a Teaching School and a National SupportSchool we will have the opportunity to ensure thatstandards at St Thomas More remain the highestpossible at the same time as using our skills inschool improvement to support others in our localarea.

At the start of 2011 St Thomas More was rated outstanding by both OFSTED and the Diocesaninspection team. Soon afterwards we were awarded status as a National Support School and

more recently still, a Teaching School. National Support Schools are recognised for theirexcellence in bringing about school improvement while Teaching Schools are seen as the hub ofschool and teacher development in their area.

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High aspirations for provision and accountabilityare well planned, based on meticulous auditingof existing provision

(Able, Gifted and Talented Award 2016)

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Drive and ambition areoutstanding. There is a clear

direction for the school: to be thebest.


“What is the very best we can do for ourstudents?”

We have a relentless focus on providing:

• Exceptionally high levels of achievement andattainment. We consistently out-perform localand national targets.

• A welcoming, caring and nurturingenvironment. We celebrate difference and prizethe unique.

• Dynamic, exciting and technologicallyenriched learning experiences. We serve ourstudents and enjoy learning together.

• A vast and diverse range of opportunities. Webelieve that all are gifted and must be givenevery opportunity to grow.

• A culture which celebrates all achievements.We embrace life as a gift and emphasise that“the glory of God is the person fully alive.”(Saint Irenaeus)

St Thomas More exists for all our students. As a staff we continue to challenge each other byreiterating the reference point question:

With the bespoke curriculum that we offer,each student thrives both academically and

socially, being offered a wide range of courses,clubs and opportunities. We are at the forefrontof educational provision in terms of teachingstyles, academic and vocational courses, workexperience, resources and new technologies.

Links with local colleges mean we can offer a widervariety of examination courses beyond the usual,such as equine studies, engineering, andagriculture.We also recognise that education goesbeyond the classroom, and so many enhancementopportunities are on offer that students may access:

• An enviable Business Enterprise scheme thatinvolves all year groups

• Rowing, canoeing and sailing• Ex-NBA player, Dan Taylor, coaching basketball• American football, coached sessions• Drama and music productions• Media productions

Students appreciate the wide range of courses andopportunities on offer to them.

(Ofsted )

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The school’s vision is to "empower, challenge anddevelop learners" and "to ensure that the qualityof all learning is outstanding; especially to stretchthe learning habits of the most able.

(Able, Gifted and Talented Award 2016)

St Thomas More possesses the InternationalSchool Award in recognition of the way in

which we successfully prepare our students totake full advantage of citizenship in the 21stcentury.

Learning experiences are enriched by a globaloutlook and the curriculum is delivered throughour diverse range of international partners andactivities.

Our community is rooted in prayer. We have adedicated Prayer Room and full-time Lay Chaplain.Time is set aside for form classes to pray for andwith each other.

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St Thomas More exists for all our students. As a staffwe continue to challenge each other by reiterating

the reference point question:

What is the very best we can do for our students?

Results across key stages regularly place StThomas More in the top 5% of all schools

nationally. Excellence in all aspects of school lifeis celebrated through 14 national awards in thelast 3 years for ‘outstanding’ educationalprovision. These include the Investors in PeopleLeadership Award, the national Literacy andNumeracy Award and the Inclusion Mark.

Further, the school possesses Healthy Schoolstatus, Oracle Training Academic status this yearand was voted the Most Improved School, plus wegained the National Diamond Award for CulturalDiversity.

Facilities at St Thomas More are first-class andinclude:

• A state-of-the-art Performing Arts Auditorium,which seats over 200 spectators

• A purpose-built fitness suite and two SportsHalls

• Cutting-edge ICT provision, including a Mediasuite and over 500 PC/AppleMac computers

• A technology-rich and air-conditioned SixthForm Leadership Centre

• An innovative cluster of offices and rooms forindividual needs and inter-agency provision

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The staff have very detailed and extensive knowledge of theprogress of each individual student and use this constructively to

promote further learning movement. Many of the students and theparents commented positively about the commitment of theteachers.

Inclusion Quality Mark

We are a vibrant and energetic schoolwhich prides itself on the welcome given

to all our students from diverse backgroundsof faith, culture and race. Our values areshared and owned by all.

Classes are small. Students are arranged into yeargroups, led by Progress Co-ordinators who,along with very committed and experiencedteams of form tutors support, challenge and

guide our young people in all aspects of theirschool life.

Pastoral Care was described as‘exemplary’ byOfsted. Both ‘Care, Guidance andSupport’ and our unique

‘Emmaus/Inclusion Centre' wereclassed as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. The latter

includes the Individual Needs Department,Connexions Service and Education WelfareOfficer.

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Aculture of celebrating achievement permeates theschool.


We place great importance on celebratingsuccess.We believe that all students and

staff have something to celebrate and of whichto be proud. As a community, achievements arenamed and highly valued.

We expect positive behaviour. Tutor and yeargroups have celebration boards. We have halftermly reward assemblies and an annual Awards

Evening, with a guest of honour and prize giving.

Recent rewards include visits to: internationalfootball and cricket games, a range of theme parks,such as Disneyland Paris, Alton Towers and ThorpePark, London theatres, ice-skating and many, manymore. Trips to New York, Austria, Italy and Francehave all been undertaken with many more excitingnew places on the list for next year!

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Students comment positively on the excellent, newstudy facilities that have created a positive and

purposeful learning environment

(Ofsted )

Life in the Sixth Form is always exciting. We have a full sports calendar, a range of

study visits, a prestigious Oxbridge entranceprogramme and an annual prom.

Our Sixth Form leaders walk among the communityin Bedford, initiating support and innovatingchange. They are well represented on International

Leadership courses and they make a difference bytheir charitable work and presence.

We have an extensive Community ServiceProgramme which celebrates and rewards thework undertaken by Sixth Formers in localschools, Care Homes and mentoring students inour own school.

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Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012:Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012 05/10/2013 18:26 Page 10 Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012:Thomas Moore Prospectus 09/2012



St Thomas MoreCatholic Teaching School

Graded Outstanding by Ofsted

Tyne CresentBedford MK41 7UL

Tel: 01234 400222 • Fax: 01234 400223E: [email protected]


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