Vision & Values
Loreto College St Albans is a Catholic school where sincere and constant efforts are made to live daily in a manner consistent with our mission statement. Our Mary Ward values of sincerity, freedom, justice, joy, truth, excellence and internationality mean we seek to encourage all our community a freedom of spirit, a sincerity in all our communications, a strong sense of personal integrity, a passion to act with justice in all we do, a discriminating attitude to truth, a cheerful disposition, to strive to become the person God made us to be and be part of an international family.
Our Values
Freedom
We nurture the growth of that 'singular freedom' which enables each person to become their best self. We encourage our students to take charge of their own lives and futures within a learning environment that celebrates diversity and nurtures independence of spirit.
Sincerity
We develop relationships that are marked by a Christ-like respect and compassion and characterised by integrity and sincerity.
Excellence
We are ambitious for our students not just in the context of academic excellence but also in the context of human possibilities, and as educators we will stretch our hearts as well as our minds. We have an unremitting focus on excellence and set the highest standards of academic and personal achievement.
Truth
Mindful of our Ignatian heritage, we introduce our students to a reflective way of thinking and living and encourage seekers of truth who will also search critically for answers to the great questions of life.
Joy
Our hope is for our schools and colleges to be joyful places where students enjoy their learning and flourish in a safe and healthy environment where the unique value of each individual is recognised and celebrated.
Justice
We encourage doers of justice who will stand with those on the margins of life and become responsible global citizens and agents of social change, committed to building a better world. We invite our students to use their gifts and talents to make a difference both locally and globally and to be men and women of courage who will challenge those accepted notions and modes of society which are opposed to the values for which we stand.
Internationality
We are proud to be part of an international network of Loreto schools and colleges and we will play a full part in this network. We will continue to interpret and apply the international guidelines for Loreto Education within the context of England in the early 21st century.
Educating and inspiring – our vision for the future
Religious Education is an intrinsic part of life at this school, and indeed in all Loreto life. Whilst in a school such as ours, academia is inherently important, we favour a holistic approach to our students. It is their spiritual dimension that we seek to encourage and enhance because we recognise that these are the young people who will become part of the future of our Church. They will be the teachers and doctors, the lawyers and scientists who will make their way in the world as Catholics.
At the heart of our Institute is a central belief in Christ and it is in him that our personal values are rooted. It is our duty to draw out of these young people their God-given potential. We work to inspire and challenge them so that they reflect on their personal faith and develop skills which allow them to think spiritually, ethically and theologically. We encourage them to be aware of the demands of religious commitment in everyday life. We help them to recognise the presence of God in themselves and in their lives.
But we realise that this is not always easy. As Catholics living in a primarily secular utilitarian world, we are only too aware of the shifting sense of identity and sense of purpose to be found in our society. Students bring all aspects of that world into the RE classroom so that we find ourselves discussing topics such as gay marriage, the unfortunate incidents of racism in football, the discussions which occur about immigration and the multi-cultural society in which we live . Our students come to our lessons searching for answers to their life experiences within a faith context.
As parents I am sure you are acutely aware of the short time we share with our children. They are God’s gift to us and our influence is for a limited period of time. We are only too aware of the complexities of living in a world of Facebook, Twitter, teenage magazines and the never-ending media pressure to conform to an unrealistic body image. Yet here we excel at Loreto because our vision of education promotes the dignity and freedom of every student in our school as created in the image and likeness of God.
There is a focus upon spirituality across the curriculum, I should share with you the approach from all departments to enhance the individual experience of all our students. To do this we focus upon three questions:
- Who am I?
- Who do I want to become?
- How do I get there?
This final question is crucial to who we are as a school community.
So when your children leave our school be assured that they have been enriched personally and intellectually. They have been inspired and challenged by the person and teaching of Jesus Christ.