St Simon Stock

ST SIMON STOCK CATHOLIC SCHOOL

WELCOME TO ST SIMON STOCK CATHOLIC SCHOOL

St Simon Stock is a high-achieving academy with a long tradition of academic success and our examination results rank amongst the best in the country. We, however, offer much more than just academic excellence.

Guided by our Catholic tradition, we are a happy, caring and inclusive school. We welcome applications from families of Catholic and other Christian denominations, other faiths and those who seek, and will support, the Christian ethos of our school community.

Our school motto – Labora Cum Amore – means to ‘Work with Love’ and our mission is to help all students achieve their full potential. We aim not just to cultivate the intellect, but also spiritual and moral values, so when our students leave us they are equipped with the knowledge and skills to understand and play their part in our vibrant, multicultural world.

Our expectations for our learners’ behaviour are second-to-none. We aim for our students to learn in a scholarly way, so that when they leave us they are cultured young adults with an appreciation for all that is beautiful; locally, nationally, globally and historically.

This prospectus is just a brief introduction to our school. We look forward to welcoming you to one of our Open Events, so you may experience for yourself the wide opportunities we have to offer your son or daughter. For further information, please visit our website at www.ssscs.co.uk

“ Catholic Life is at the heart of the school, permeating everything the school offers to pupils, staff and parents, creating a distinct family where everyone feels valued.” PARENT

STARTING YOUR JOURNEY

The transition from primary school to secondary school can be an anxious time for many children and their parents. Rest assured, at St Simon Stock our aim is to make this special and important time a positive and enjoyable experience.

From Year 5 onwards, a programme of events is designed to make your child’s move to our school as smooth as possible. Taster Days are offered to those in Year 5 so they may experience first-hand a range of lessons and secondary school activities for the day. Our ‘Meet the Tutor’ session and ‘Year 6 into 7 Welcome Day’, help our new intake get to know our staff and begin to integrate with their peers ahead of their start in September.

As a school, we acknowledge the importance of links between home and school so we ensure there is frequent and consistent communication with parents and carers about their child. Each day, our staff greet students at the school gate when they arrive and say goodbye to them as they leave. Teaching staff also welcome students at their door for every lesson and we constantly praise and reward good behaviour.

St Simon Stock students are ambassadors for our school at all times, we therefore expect them to wear their uniform with pride and present themselves smartly. We are very proud to say that visitors to the school frequently comment on the exceptional and exemplary behaviour of our students.

Christ’s love is at the centre of all we do and we place the values of tolerance, love and respect at the heart of school life. As a proudly Catholic school, we nurture every student in our care so they may become happy, confident and well-rounded young people.

LOVE

WORK WITH LOVE

As an outstanding Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Southwark, and as an academy within the Kent Catholic Schools’ Partnership, our Catholic character sets us apart from other schools in Maidstone and means we are better able to serve our students. Our motto to ‘Work with Love’ permeates everything we do in school. Our intent is to unlock each child’s potential, enabling them to discover and develop their talents to ensure their journey through life is guided by a strong spiritual and moral compass.

“ Pupils are an absolute credit to the school. Articulate, polite and enthusiastic.”

We recognise that each child is unique and learns in different ways, so we design our curriculum and lessons to ensure that teaching is personalised to suit the varying needs of all students. In addition, teaching is underpinned by strong support for individual learning needs, which is delivered by our highly-skilled teachers and by specialist support staff.

At St Simon Stock, we have a strong family ethos with outstanding pastoral care and we value the dignity of every young learner. As such, we believe that education is not just about achieving academic qualifications, as important as these are, but is equally about educating our students as a whole.

“ We strive to create an environment built upon the Gospel value of love. Our school motto ‘Labora Cum Amore’ means ‘Work with Love’.”

“ Our child is inspired by the reputation and quality of this school.”

ST SIMON STOCK CATHOLIC SCHOOL

STRIVE FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

At St Simon Stock we encourage our students to aim for the highest standards of work and behaviour for learning. We offer an ambitious, knowledge-rich academic curriculum which is also broad, relevant and balanced, including vocational options to meet the needs of all students.

We have a reputation within Kent and nationally for our impressive examination results at both GCSE and A Level. This success is built upon excellent teaching. Our teachers are experts in their subjects; passionate and knowledgeable about how to get the most out of their students. Our focus is firmly on ensuring that everyone makes progress and we constantly strive for each student to progress to the next stage of their education with confidence. We believe that there is no ceiling on achievement.

At the heart of all our lessons is the firm belief that intelligence is not fixed, but is grown through hard work, perseverance and resilience. We build these values into all our teaching and we have high expectations and aspirations for our young people. We place a premium on scholarly habits so that our students develop a thirst for knowledge, model exemplary behaviour and respect one another. This enables our students to become independent learners who take pride in their work.

“ I enjoyed my time at ‘Stocky’ so much that I wanted to stay for Sixth Form. There was no other place that felt so welcoming and had such a community spirit. I had fantastic support from my teachers and the Sixth Form team.”

FORMER STUDENT STUDYING MEDICINE

Our curriculum prioritises strong literacy and numeracy as all students require these core skills to achieve. We challenge students to think deeply, reason, analyse, debate and be curious about the world around them, so they may thrive and reach their potential. Our curriculum has depth, in which students are taught the importance of mastering knowledge, and in which mistakes are understood and valued as an opportunity to learn. Our intention is that students ‘know more, remember more and as a result progress more’, so they can make a positive impact on their community and the world.

OFSTED

LEARN

“ St Simon Stock is a caring school where every pupil is expected to do their best. Pupils live up to teachers’ high expectations. Pupils behave extremely well.”

REPORT

We aim to provide all students with a worldclass education and experiences, as well as the time and space to discover, understand and pursue their true vocation. We strive to develop the whole person and our teaching is based on the principle that all students are gifted. Our task is to unlock that potential.

LIVE

ACHIEVE FULL POTENTIAL

As a school, we place considerable emphasis on the personal development of students and we challenge them to think hard in order to achieve success, whilst praising and rewarding their efforts at every opportunity. Students are regularly assessed and we use this to group students in the core subject areas, so they study alongside those with similar targets. This allows us to match our teaching to students’ needs.

PARENT

“ Our children come home every day, believing in themselves and their potential, inspired by their teachers and curious to find out about the world they live in.”

As we live in an incredibly culturally rich world, we also want our students to experience the benefits of this. Beyond the classroom, students are offered a wide variety of extra-curricular activities. These include The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award; sporting events; drama and music productions; the development of language skills; showcasing artistic work and participation in educational visits, both locally or abroad.

We believe that happy, motivated students learn better. By offering ‘world-class’ opportunities in our school life, we encourage like-minded students to pursue interests and hobbies of their choosing, so they may develop positive values and attitudes. Overall, our aim is for our students to become the very best versions of themselves, so they can stride out into the world with the mindset and confidence to succeed.

“ St Simon Stock Sixth Form impacted me enormously, boosting my confidence and communication skills... It is clear that the staff genuinely care about each student’s wellbeing and are willing to go above and beyond for you.”

FORMER STUDENT STUDYING LAW

DEVELOP LIFE-LONG LEARNING AND PERSONAL GROWTH

We teach our students to be

resilient, self-motivated and committed to life-long learning. Our intent is for our students to use their learning to lead and inspire future generations and, by doing so, improve the world we live in.

Students at St Simon Stock develop a strong work ethic and a pride in personal achievement which helps them take their place in the wider world. As our faith centres around service to others, we encourage our young people to become involved in a wide range of activities that allow them, quite literally, to change the world.

The Faith in Action Award, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, charitable giving and student leadership opportunities, all allow students to learn more about themselves and become articulate, informed young

adults, who are passionate about using their education to make a difference.

In our thriving and reputable Sixth Form, our prefects are positive role models, undertaking a variety of tasks and responsibilities which make meaningful and lasting contributions to life within the school. Our popular Sixth Form offers a broad curriculum, which is suited to all needs, and many students continue onwards to achieve places at the best universities, including Oxford, Cambridge and the Russell group, or enter top level apprenticeships.

FORMER

“ Sixth Form gave me both the opportunities and confidence to be where I am today, it was the best two years filled with laughter, learning and lifelong friendships.”

STUDENT STUDYING PARAMEDIC SCIENCE

‘future thinkers’,

ST SIMON STOCK CATHOLIC SCHOOL