Unique and Special

What makes St. Bernadette’s special and unique?

In developing our curriculum, our school community reflected on what makes St Bernadette’s special and unique.  We organised our thoughts around four elements: ‘The pupils and families which make up our school’; ‘The location of our school’, ‘Our school building and grounds’ and ‘The expertise amongst school staff and other adults in our parish/local community’.   

• St Bernadette’s is a FAMILY; it’s small enough for everyone to know each other really well
• St Bernadette’s pupils are well-behaved, well-mannered, kind and very, very proud of their school 
• Pupils and adults always try to work as a team to make St Bernadette’s the best school it can be
• Pupils and adults in our school are positive and hard working 
• Everybody in St Bernadette’s has a VOICE and the opportunity to contribute to decision making
• Our Catholic identity is vitally important to us, but we welcome pupils and families of all faiths and none
• Our diversity helps us learn about and respect different cultures and faiths
• We are an important part of our parish and local community and we work hard to make a positive difference to those who live and work on our doorstep
• We work in close partnership with visiting specialists and other partners; they play a vital role in our school 
• We have always been known for our smart uniform and we want this to continue
• We love to open the doors of our school so others can share in our learning 
• We are located next to St Bernadette’s Church, so can easily connect with our parish in lots of different ways
• We are located next to Reddish Vale Country Park which promotes outside learning
• We have good relationships with local nurseries and schools within the cluster to ensure good transitions
•  We are lucky to have a large open field which allows us to have a polytunnel and organic garden where we grow plants and vegetables to cook; a nature trail; picnic benches and playground with a climbing frame for Early Years and Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
• We have a cooking area for regular cooking for all ages
• We have a Nurture Zone building which is a learning area for children who require additional support and for intervention work
•  We have a Reflection Room where pupils can pray, meditate and and experience tranquillity when they need to; this room is also used for counselling sessions led by Beacon Counselling Service
• We provide a range of extracurricular activities.