Saint George Catholic College
Catholic Life
Under the patronage of St George, all that we do is guided and led by our Catholic ethos and is summarised in our mission statement:
“At St George we ASPIRE to become all that God has created us to be.”
To us, this means recognising that each of us is unique and loved by God. We are all on a vocational journey, through which students and staff deepen their faith by showing their commitment to Jesus Christ while being part of our family at St George and making the most of the gifts given to us by the Lord.
We believe that Jesus Christ is with us in everything we do-in our successes as well as our failures, in our ordinary, everyday lives, and in our special moments. As staff members, we believe that knowing our students personally and guiding each of them to achieve their full potential is key to their success. It's about us as individuals-it's about you.
Our ASPIRE values permeate every aspect of life at St George. Please see the table and information below, which illustrate examples of how our Catholic faith is lived out through these values:
Achievement
"I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith"
2 Timothy 4:7
Prayaga
“Our school helps us celebrate and acknowledge our achievements.”
As a student, I know my teachers really care about me because they provide additional intervention sessions for all subjects after school to support me to make progress in that subject which improves my confidence and wellbeing. If I can’t attend the intervention sessions, then I am offered online tuition in some subjects. If I have an issue with the homework or what’s been covered in the lesson, or I require information about an event or trip coming up, all staff are accessible through MS Teams. We have a year group page as well, which always has important information and helpful resources from our Progress Leader.
As a student at St George I have the opportunity to earn house points for anything connected with school. In assemblies each week we get an update on how our tutor group are doing and prizes get awarded each week. At the end of the term, we have a reward assembly where lots of awards and certificates are handed out. My parents receive a report with the number of houses points I have received too. We also have half-termly reward hours. What I like about this is that house points are for all students and all abilities. I am also offered online tuition.
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Spirituality
"Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength."
Deuteronomy 6:4
Grace: “The school encourages us to get closer to God.”
Nora: “The school encourages us to find our spiritual self.”
As a student at St George we pray every morning during tutor time as a tutor group. We take turns to lead prayers each morning. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we say the Angelus at 12:15pm in our lessons. As a student in the GIFT team, we help organise termly Masses for all year groups and our St George Day Mass. In our assemblies we help to raise money for the toilet twining charity to help support families abroad. In the past, we have raised money for CAFOD and Mission to Seafarers by running a cake sale at lunchtimes, staff have run the London Marathon and on Romero Day lots of students set up stalls, and we have an extended lunch. As a prefect in the chaplaincy team, I give readings at our masses and help set them up. We all have access to the Sacraments and our College Chapel has the Blessed Sacrament.
Respect
"You must love your neighbour as yourself."
Mark 12:31
Jasmine: “Respect goes both ways between teachers and students in this school.”
As a student at St George I am a member of the EARA (Equality & Rights Advocates Group). We help plan a whole school EARA day focusing on Equality and Respect. We help lead termly assemblies on key issues within Equality. Recently, we led a number of assemblies during Black History Month and on plans for EARA day. We hope this makes Saint George a better family for all its students. There are eight staff members who are equality advocates who we can go to if we have questions or concerns. As a student, I am supported by my tutor and progress leader on a daily basis. If I need any support mentally or physically, there is a trained staff nurse and mental health practitioner on site alongside the inclusion unit called Trinity, who are all really approachable and kind.
As a school, we have raised a lot of money for local and international charities. We have provided food for our local Poitier Foodbank with collections, Mary's Meals through World Porridge Day in October and Romero Day in March for CAFOD and Hospice UK plus other international charities. We care about our environment. Recently, our Eco Committee and student council worked together on planning a Green Day in school. The money raised from it went to purchasing ten recycling bins now in place around the site.
Independence
"Those who work hard will become the leaders."
Proverbs 12-24
Wisdom: “We are encouraged to be independent in lots of areas of school life”
As a student at St George I am encouraged to take responsibility for my learning in lessons and work independently when asked too. I receive feedback in my books on my subjects which I respond to in green pen. When it comes to choosing my option subjects, I have chosen subjects which I am really interested in. I am allowed to start these subjects in Year 9 which I find really helpful, because I feel responsible enough to make these choices and motivated to pursue my interests. Our tutor publicises every half-term all the enrichment opportunities at lunchtimes or after-school. There is a wide variety of choices and I currently attend the African Caribbean and Allies Society with Ms Smallwood. My friends also earned the Duke of Edinburgh bronze award, and I am aware other students have received the diocesan Faith in Action award through work in their parish. I really feel like the opportunities I have made me feel like I am cared for and challenged. As a student in my tutor group, I take turns to lead tutor time prayers and the Angelus three times a week.
Relationships
"To be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:2-16
Grace: “The school looks to us to build relationships with one another.”
As a prefect, I support our younger students at Trinity by spending time with them in tutor time and at break and lunch, playing games. My role is to build a relationship with the students because they struggle with developing social skills or have anxiety. I listen to their problems and try to help them. I try and act as a role model for our younger students, to be a friendly and supportive face for them. We are always on duty at break and lunch in various locations around the site.
As a student in Year 8 I represent my tutor group in inter-tutor competitions which are for students in Years 7-10. These are good opportunities to build relationships with other students in my tutor group or in the years that are not in my normal classes. Having been with the same students in my year group since Year 7 assemblies feel more special when we all sing the hymn together. We all say the prayer together and when there is a mass it’s with our year group. I don’t get embarrassed as I used to because we all sign the hymn together. In Year 7 we all attended a team-building trip to Ninja Warriors in the first term and completed a spirituality induction which helped me to build relationships with other students.
As a student and parish ambassador, our lay chaplain, Mr Walford, is working with us to build better links within our parishes so that we can work as one community as the Bishop sets out in his vision.
Our OFSTED report comments on the sense of family that exists at Saint George.
“I feel like having good relationships with others and communicating with them really strengthens our community, as everyone has each other's back and can look out for them within St George. School life is just so much better when you have wonderful people to spend it with!” Zuzanna.
“To me, relationships are about caring for one another, being there when someone needs you, sharing happy moments, and helping everyone feel loved, valued and never alone.” Chima.
Enjoyment
"When we find happiness in all our achievements, this is a gift from God"
Ecclesiastes 3:13
Joshua: “Teachers try and introduce a fun aspect of learning into our lessons.”
As a Year 9 student at St George, I enjoy my lessons studying the subjects I want to do. I have been given lots of choices to attend a wide-ranging enrichment programme, including a number of residential trips. I am really looking forward to the ski trip.
I know my teachers are interested in how I feel about my lessons because they ask me every term about the subject and what areas I am enjoying and finding challenging. Every term there are opportunities to receive rewards in our termly reward assembly. There are also termly reward trips based on our attitude grades, attendance and the number of House Points we have earned. If we have done well or made significant progress, we go on a reward trip. I find it helpful that my tutor, my parents and I meet every term to look at my report and how I can be supported going forward. I find St George to be a really warm and friendly school.
“To me, enjoyment means finding happiness in every bit of learning and activities at school and looking for the joy in everyday life. What is our motivation, if not enjoyment?” Alice.
Vatican Responds to St George's Pupils
Exciting news: Students in 8CA1 and 8CB1 sent some of their work to His Holiness, Pope Francis in November 2022 and have now received a reply! Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si (Care for Our Common Home), they researched a social issue they felt passionate about and then wrote their own encyclical outlining why Catholics should try to help. They gave evidence from the Bible as well as Catholic Social Teaching and used persuasive language to convince readers they had to help solve the issue. They were so proud of their work that they felt Pope Francis and Bishop Philip might like to read it too, so Mrs Knight sent it to them. We have now had letters from both congratulating students on their thoughtful writing. We are so happy that Pope Francis and Bishop Philip have taken the time to read their work and send us their blessings.
The Patrons of the College
St George Catholic College has two principal patrons, St George and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The College was named after St George, the patron saint of England and a saint whose cult is strong in the Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic tradition. The story of St George is well known about a Roman Soldier who was born in what was Cappadocia and was probably martyred under the Diocletian persecution. The legend of the dragon comes later and is an allegory for the fight against evil which the Christian has to undertake each day. His body is reputed to lie in a tomb in Lod in Israel.
The lessons to learn from our patron are to put Christ first, even if this leads to suffering. St George did this but from it, he gained eternal life. The life of St George, although romanticised throughout the ages, is one to follow and ask for assistance from our heavenly patron.
St George, pray for us
Our Lady of Guadalupe
The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the miraculous Tilma (cloak) still housed in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is also well known and led to the conversion of the Aztec people. Even today, millions still visit the Basilica to pray and see the beautiful image left behind by the Virgin for her people.
People ask why they choose Our Lady of Guadalupe as a patron. The answer is this, when she appeared at St Juan Diego in the 1500s, she appeared as a ‘Mestiza’, a woman of mixed heritage, both Aztec and Spanish. She is the mother of all people. With our cohort of students from around the world, Our Lady of Guadalupe was an obvious choice. In June 2021, Bishop Philip Egan entrusted the college to Our Lady of Guadalupe. On the same day, he opened a building named in her honour.
We encourage a strong Marian devotion here, following the example of the great saints and Popes, knowing that Mary is the perfect disciple and mother to all our community.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us
