Issuu

AMPLEFORTH COLLEGE

The Way Ahead Serve the common good

Open minded

Thoughtful

Whole-hearted ATTENTIVENESS

Selfless

T EC

Responsible

ITY

R WA

Ready to lead

Fulfilled

STE

Loving

Curious

HIP

CHILD

Grounded

FAITH

Discerning

Balanced Y LIT ITA SP HO

EQU ILIB RIU M

Independent

Proactive

Resilient

IN TE G RIT Y

Compassionate

Well-rounded

Committed

Courageous

A Compass for Life

The Way Ahead 2024 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 For more than two centuries, Ampleforth has been a centre of faith and education in a beautiful valley in North Yorkshire. The College’s unique character and identity is rooted in its deeply established relationship with our founders and neighbours, the Benedictine monks of Ampleforth Abbey. They bestowed - and continue to uphold - a character and purpose to our Catholic educational mission which is more compelling in today’s transactional and commoditised world than ever before.

While our foundations and values are deeply-rooted, we are committed to continuously reviewing and renewing our unique educational offer to ensure that we are equipping young people with the skills and experience needed to flourish both now and in their future beyond the valley. Over this academic year, our strategy will be focused on those core areas that we believe will deliver an outstanding educational and formative journey.

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Faith 1. A Benedictine School Benedictine life is woven into everything we do, inviting young people to discover the value and purpose of life through active participation in a Christian Community. This transformative experience is lived and shared rather than taught, and embodied through cherishing the unique gifts that each and every one has to offer, growing and learning from our differences, supporting and serving each other. We continue to have a very strong and close working relationship with Ampleforth Abbey. Our monastic Dean is responsible for the overall spiritual life and ethos of the College. Monastic chaplains work in the boarding Houses and across the whole College to support prayers, mass, and provide spiritual accompaniment for our pupils. In recognition of the demographic of the monastic community, with their active support and guidance we are working to develop and embed lay chaplains within a strengthened central chaplaincy. The monastic community are also committed to enhancing their support for and formation of all our staff.

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Community 2. A Campus for the Future Ampleforth College is blessed with a beautiful site, cradled in a valley carved by ice and shaped by thousands of years of human activity. Twenty First Century Ampleforth is a vibrant and diverse co-educational environment, welcoming young people from all corners of the UK, Western Europe, and some from further afield. We are committed to developing a cohesive and sustainable campus that will meet the educational and pastoral needs of future generations of Amplefordians and use our facilities to their best advantage. Following the Benedictine tenet of stewardship, we also aim to cultivate more deeply in our pupils a sense of responsibility and care for their environment, to cherish our campus, and make the most of the opportunities the valley provides.

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3. Before Ampleforth - Prep school links Ampleforth is a stage in a child’s journey that commences with the family and then leads into formal education. In order to give the best care and education to all young people who join us, we believe it is important to build deeper and stronger relationships with schools attended by our future pupils, as they share with us and the family the formation of the child who will come into our care. We aim to make the transition between schools as smooth as possible, and to understand as much as we can about the young people who are joining us and how best we can help them to flourish at Ampleforth.

4. The Wider World - Networks & Partnerships Benedictine monasticism gave the world one of its first learning networks, and today’s Ampleforth College prizes the exchange of knowledge and ideas, recognising that strength comes through connection and relationships. We are looking to build meaningful and mutually beneficial partnerships with schools in our Catholic diocese and with local schools of all types. To this end, we have appointed a Head of Partnerships to develop collaborative initiatives, focusing on mutual professional learning for staff and strengthening and broadening opportunities for service.

“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.” Matthew 23:11 Service is at the very core of our ethos. It describes a quality of the relationships that we want our pupils to grow into, in which we look for the good of the other and want the best for them. The opportunity to serve others is a privilege for pupils at Ampleforth as it is the purposeful act of placing the needs of others first. They learn that everyone has a gift to bring, that we depend on others to grow and ultimately to find meaning and purpose in life.

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A Flourishing School

An Ampleforth education is a “Compass for Life”. We educate the whole person and are proud to offer the breadth of opportunity for each pupil to discover and develop their interests and strengths, fulfil their academic potential, and learn what they can contribute to the world. We provide this in caring and safe environment that celebrates inclusivity and diversity, cultivates the creativity of staff, and encourages pupils to share their thoughts and feelings. We are committed to an approach of continuous learning and improving. We welcome official scrutiny as an opportunity to showcase our unique culture of Benedictine scholarship and pastoral care, informed by faith and our belief that every child is a unique gift to be cherished.

Scholarship 5.

The Future of Learning

During 2023-2024 we will review our curriculum in the broadest sense, to ensure that the needs of all our pupils are met in the 21st century, that we always strive for excellence, and that learning in all its forms remains central to our culture. We will look at the curriculum both inside the classroom and out of it, considering each child’s journey through the College and formalising elements of enrichment, support, reading, oracy, university preparation, life-skills, activities, and more. Is it as inspiring and as ambitious as possible? Does it fully form each pupil? Does it work in a fully coeducational school?

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Scholarship is at the very heart of Benedictine culture, and for centuries monastic communities kept alight the flickering candle of knowledge. At Ampleforth we prize learning as central to the formation of every young person in our care; it equips them to fulfil their potential and to flourish as proactive members of society who work for the common good. Our Benedictine model also fosters love of learning as an end in itself.

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Catholic co-educational boarding and day school for ages 11-18

Ampleforth College, York, YO62 4ER 01439 766863 admissions@ampleforth.org.uk