Saint
Francis
Xavier
St Francis Xavier
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Gratia Perficit Naturam
Gratia Pe
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at
Roman Catholic &
Church of England School
Saint
Francis
Xavier
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Gratia Perficit Naturam
Gratia Pe
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at
St Francis Xavier School
Darlington Road
Richmond
North Yorkshire
DL10 7DA
Tel: 01748 823414
Fax:
01748 823946
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.sfxschool.org.uk
Love of God and Love of Neighbour
A positive approach to learning
I am delighted to welcome you to St Francis Xavier School.
I hope that through this prospectus you are provided with an
overview of our ethos, values and our commitment to ensure
that every young person achieves their full potential.
Our mission as a joint Catholic and Church of England
school is rooted in the gospel values of Love of God and Love of
Neighbour. We expect all members of our school community to
live out these values in their everyday interactions. Our young
people treat others with dignity and respect and have high
expectations of themselves and others, encouraging each other
to succeed.
Academic excellence is our first priority and a positive
approach to learning is at the heart of our school. Students
are set challenging and aspirational targets and through
the nurturing and caring environment that is central to our
community, they achieve outstanding results.
St Francis Xavier students are our finest ambassadors,
demonstrating what can be achieved through hard work and
a positive attitude. They are actively involved in the extracurricular opportunities available to them; many students
achieve musical and sporting excellence as a result, which they
maintain throughout their adult life.
Through our strong partnerships with families and the
wider community, our students leave St Francis Xavier as
self-confident, inquiring, tolerant and positive young men
and women. In our rapidly changing world, it is vital that they
move on to the next stage of their life with a broad portfolio of
knowledge and skills. St Francis Xavier provides this, together
with a strong sense of self-worth and the academic and social
skills to make a valuable contribution to society.
We look forward to welcoming you to our school.
Mrs S Keelan-Beardsley, Headteacher
“St Francis Xavier is an
outstanding school.”
Ofsted
Valuing the individual
Situated in the beautiful market town of Richmond, at the gateway to the
Yorkshire Dales National Park, our location at the centre of the community
enables us to give all our students a personalised education.
As a small school, we take pride in making all our students feel safe,
secure and valued. Our staff know every student by name, while our size
and inclusive ethos enable us to promote equality of opportunity and to
identify and meet the individual needs and abilities of all our young people.
“The Christian mission of the school, ‘Love of
God’ and ‘Love of Neighbour’ is simply expressed,
powerfully used and widely understood. It
inspires every aspect of school life.”
Section 5 inspection
Our Christian mission
At St Francis Xavier, students aged 11-16 excel in an
atmosphere of courtesy, care and trust. Our Christian values
inspire every aspect of school life and students are given
regular opportunities for reflection, prayer and worship. We
also welcome students from other faith backgrounds and,
in so doing, aim to teach all our young people to value and
celebrate different traditions and cultures.
As a Church school, an important part of our mission is to
help our students achieve their divine potential. We believe
that every child is unique and aim to ensure that all our
young people are successful learners who can achieve their
God-given talents.
Academic excellence
“St Francis Xavier School is one of the top 100 performing
non-selective state-funded schools in England.”
Rt Hon David Laws MP
Minister of State for Schools
Awarded ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted, students at St Francis Xavier study a broad,
balanced curriculum with a wide range of GCSEs on offer. Our reputation for
providing a quality education, coupled with excellent teaching and high academic
standards, underpins students’ rapid progress. In fact, St Francis Xavier is one of the
top 100 non-selective schools in the country.
A modern, purpose-built learning environment, which features the latest
interactive technology and specialist accommodation in every subject area, also
motivates our students to succeed.
In addition, our House system provides a positive atmosphere of challenge and
healthy competition. When students first join us, they are placed in one of three
Houses – Easby, Fountains and Jervaulx – which are named after important places
of Christian worship in the local area.
“It feels like coming home.”
Student
“For me the thing that makes SFX special
is the strong sense of community: the
way that everybody knows and supports
each other makes it feel like a family.
When I look back on my time there, I feel
so inspired by the people I met and the
opportunities and experiences that I had
and I can’t help but feel proud that SFX
was (and in a way still is) my school.”
Emma Morrison, Head Girl 2012-13.
“The highly effective curriculum is exceptionally
well planned and delivered in a way which
ensures that all students achieve very well.”
Ofsted
As well as receiving a quality education, extra-curricular activities are an important part of school
life, enabling students to build on existing skills and explore new interests. These range from
Science Club, Latin, German and Maths support to girls’ football, gymnastics, Drama and orchestra.
In addition, students are encouraged to take part in fundraising activities for charity, while trips
to the theatre and places of historical interest extend our students’ learning. Residential visits to
Sicily, Strasbourg and the Belgium Battlefields broaden their experience and the annual pilgrimage
to Lourdes instills in them a sense of Christian Mission.
For those students who wish to take on more responsibility, groups such as the Student Council
enable them to take part in decision-making and initiatives aimed at improving school life. Council
members are also involved in the interview and selection process for new staff at the school.
Produced by Words&Pictures. Tel: 01943 854800.
An inclusive curriculum
“The curriculum ensures
the excellent development
of students’ spiritual,
moral, social and cultural
understanding and enables
them to develop into
confident and responsible
young adults.”
Ofsted
“I can’t praise my son’s teachers
enough. Thanks to their care
and support, he has made
outstanding progress.”
Parent
A nurturing
and caring
environment
As they prepare to leave St Francis Xavier, we
aim to help our students and their families make
an informed choice about the next step by giving
them access to a wide variety of information in
our Learning Resource Centre. Students are also
taught how to write an effective CV, while personal
interviews with a wide range of Post-16 providers
and independent careers advice ensure a smooth
transition to further education/training, university
and the world of work.
At St Francis Xavier, we aim for excellence in all
we do. Ultimately, we want all our young people
to develop into well-rounded individuals who are
able to meet new challenges and embrace new
opportunities with confidence.