Statement Against Racism

“You must love one another just as I have loved you. It is by your love for one another, that everyone will recognise you as my disciples.”
(John 13:34-35)

St Ursula’s is a school rooted in the Catholic values of respect for every person as a unique being regardless of their religion, culture, nationality or economic standing. We strive to actively promote anti-racism.

We are firm in the belief that we are all responsible for the promotion of racial justice. During lockdown, George Floyd’s death has focused the world’s attention on the important work that needs to be done to address structural racism. As a school, we are conscious that whenever we ignore any prejudice and discrimination, we are failing, as Christians, to follow the guiding principles of our faith.

Solidarity with each other is a key principle of our Catholic faith. We recognise that now, more than ever, we must live by our Gospel values in the knowledge that solidarity arises when we remember we belong to each other and have a responsibility to protect each other.

We continually strive to tackle injustice and aim to consistently challenge behaviour and views that promote racial intolerance and discrimination. We will continue to look for ways to overcome racism and ensure that we respect the inherent value, worth and dignity of each person.

At the heart of our belief is the knowledge that we are made in God’s image and are thereby compelled to work in unity to develop our society and to ensure that every person is treated with loving respect.

Pope Francis reminds us that ‘we cannot tolerate or turn a blind eye to racism and exclusion in any form and yet claim to defend the sacredness of every human life’.

At St Ursula’s, we are proud of the diversity in our school and seek ways to celebrate the richness and difference that diversity brings. We recognise that there is more to be done but this guiding principle will continue to shape our curriculum going forward.

See the attached letter from Archbishop John and our area Bishops and please take time to share this with your child.

St Ursula’s Convent school has embarked on two exciting opportunities to continue our work in creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for our whole community. Firstly we have signed up and are working towards achieving the RACE Charter Mark. The Race and Conscious Equality (RACE) Charter Mark will give us the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to action and improvement in relation to race equality in all aspects of our work, as educators, employers and community leaders.

Secondly, we have also embarked on the journey of achieving the Inclusion Quality Mark. Inclusion Quality Mark has provided us with a nationally recognised framework to guide our inclusion journey. We are excited to be one of the 5,500 schools in the UK who have either received an IQM Inclusive School Award, or are actively working towards meeting the standard required.

The IQM process has allowed us to further develop our vision that inclusion promotes equal opportunities for all pupils, whatever their age, gender, ethnicity, attainment and background.