Our Mission and Ethos
Notre Dame is a Catholic school which seeks to live out the values of Jesus Christ. We promote these values by our words and deeds, and Catholic doctrine and practice therefore permeates every aspect of the school’s activity. We provide a curriculum, which is broad and balanced, recognising that every pupil is unique and is created in the image of God (Gen 1:27).
Our Core Values
Our core values support our students, staff and parents to:
- Be people of integrity, tolerance, respect and compassion
- To serve the common good of society
- To live out our duty as responsible citizens living in a lawful democratic community
- To be people of hope and aspiration
- To be confident and happy
- Be people who celebrate diversity
Mutual respect for each other’s beliefs remains firmly rooted in our work as a cohesive Catholic community in preparing our young people for life in the world and in Britain today. This is expressed through the idea that every individual is unique and made in the image of God and therefore greatly treasured and loved.
British Values
British Values are embedded through a wide range of subjects. They are also explicitly referred to and explored in assemblies and form time activities. For more information visit our British Values page.
Our Curriculum
We provide a curriculum, which is broad and balanced, recognising that every pupil is unique and is 'created in the image of God' (Gen 1:27)
Our curriculum is designed to enable every pupil to discern their vocation and to be well-equipped to follow it as active citizens in service to the world.
For more information visit the Curriculum section of our website.
Weekly Gospel Themes
Each week we follow a theme inspired by the Sunday's Gospel. Each Year Group have an assembly based on the theme. We also have Staff Briefing and activities in Form Time based on the following routine.
Monday: Gospel Reading
Tuesday: Reflection on the Gospel
Wednesday: Our Father
Thursday: Positive Wellbeing / Inspirational lives
Friday: Thanksgiving and Celebration
To view this week's theme visit the Latest News section of our website.
To view our weekly theme Pebble powerpoints for this half term visit the SJB CMAT Chaplaincy page.
St Julie and the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur
Our school was established by a religious order of nuns called the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in 1864. St Julie Billiart was the Foundress of the order. When you come into our Main Reception, you are welcomed by a statue of St Julie.
St Julie had a passion for providing all young people with an education 'for life' and that gave them 'hearts as wide as the world'.
Julie used the image of a sunflower always turning towards the sun as a metaphor for how our lives should be focussed on the goodness of God. This is why you'll find the symbol of a sunflower displayed around our school.
For more information visit the History of our School page and the Notre Dame Schools Network page.
The Role of the Catholic Church in Education
The Church provides Catholic schools to:
- Be a service to society. To serve the human person and society and enable them to develop an understanding of their communal obligations, personal aspirations and role as citizens in society and the world.
- Assist in its mission of making Christ known to all people
- Assist parents , who are the primary educators of their children, in the education and religious formation of their children
- Be at the service of the local church – the diocese, the parish and the Christian home
As a school we make the most of opportunities to promote these values and Catholic Social Teaching (CST) within our policies, our curriculum and within whole school activities.
Our Catholic ethos provides both a depth of opportunity and a responsibility to prepare young people for life in modern Britain, to reject extremism and to promote tolerance among all communities, faiths and beliefs.
For more information visit the Catholic Education Service's website.
School of Sanctuary
Our Mission Statement expresses our commitment to be an 'inclusive' school and we celebrate our diversity.
We are justly proud to be awarded School of Sanctuary status since 2017.
To find out more about how this shapes the life of our school, visit our School of Sanctuary page.
Catholic Life and Chaplaincy
Our Chaplaincy is at the heart of our school. It brings to life our Mission and Ethos in all aspects of the school and supports everyone in our community to live 'life to the full'.
There is a very wide variety of activities that students can get involved in from planning liturgies to backstage crew for performances. Whatever your interests and skills we will help find ways for you to play an active role in our community.
For more information visit our Catholic Life and Chaplaincy page.
School Council and Student Voice
Our Mission is to develop 'morally informed and passionate leaders'. In order to help achieve this, we create opportunities for any student to be actively involved in the life of our community.
For more information visit our School Council and Student Voice page.
Relationships and Sex Education
Relationships and Sex Education
As a Catholic community, PSHEE develops an understanding that you have been uniquely created in the image of God with your own special worth and value. It is part of a holistic approach to education that focuses not just on academia but also on your social, moral and spiritual development.
Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) is taught as part of PSHEE. Our course uses carefully chosen age appropriate resources in keeping with our school's Catholic ethos. We solely use reliable and trustworthy sources accredited by the Catholic Education Service, the national PSHE Association and Norfolk Local Authority.
PSHEE is a vital opportunity to explore often sensitive issues in a safe and respectful way. Students are given reliable information and are invited to discuss their meaning and importance by discussing them together. Students are then given opportunities to develop their personal beliefs, values and opinions through individual written work.
RSE Parental Survey
As a school community, we are committed to working in partnership with parents and carers to complement and reinforce the lessons you teach your child as they prepare for adulthood.
With this in mind we have produced a short survey to receive feedback and any additional questions that you may have.
To access the survey click here.
Key NDHS Documents:
- NDHS Relationships and Sex Education Policy
- NDHS RSE Curriculum: Based on the Catholic Education Service Model Curriculum
External Links:
Supporting our Wider Community and Catholic Social Teaching
An important aspect of our Mission is to reach out beyond the gates of our school to the local, national and global community.
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.
We are inspired by the following 6 key principles:
Each year we organise a wide variety of activities to raise funds for local, national and international causes.
On our Founder's Day in October, the entire school community go on a sponsored walk together to raise money for local and national charities.
For more information about CST and how we put it into action visit our Supporting the Wider Community page.
