Aims & Ethos

For over one hundred and fifty years, parents have trusted Our Lady of Sion School to guide their children from the careful nurture of Early Years through to the responsibilities, challenges and excitement of Sixth Form students on the brink of adult life. Mindful of our Catholic foundation and the Charism of the Sisters of Sion, every member of our community respects our motto, “Consideration Always”, which is central to our school life and leads us to welcome families and students of all faiths and none. We take pride in working together to ignite the highest aspiration, celebrating the unique spirit and achievement of every boy and girl. Under our care, the next generation of Sionians discover possibilities in the world around them, develop a life-long passion for learning and respond willingly and with compassion to the needs of others.

Our motto is not just wallpaper, something that is there just in the background and easy to ignore after a while. It is something which we believe in as a core part of a Sion education.

It is expected in Sion that our motto spins with great energy…it is alive and well…it lives and breathes and resonates and vibrates along the corridors and within our classrooms and outside spaces.

Our students are regularly reminded of our ethos and our motto through assemblies, such as the one in presentation link below, and through our Founders’ Day celebrations.

In accordance with the Charter for Our Lady of Sion Schools, it is our purpose to lead our students safely towards deeper knowledge of themselves, of “the other”* and of the world around them, enabling them to move towards a bright future as dependable, just and accomplished young adults.

We recognise that we are part of a strong community of students, parents, staff and governors.

• constructively work together to provide an excellent educational experience for the students in our care, and support them to become the best that they can be.
• contribute to, and benefit from, opportunities arising from our membership of the international family of Sion Schools.
• foster a culture based on consideration and respect for others, where cultural diversity is recognised and valued within the universality of humankind.
• support each other with an understanding that we are a diverse community where everyone is welcomed.
• ensure a safe environment by keeping safeguarding central to our practice through training and regular updates across the school.
• be reflective and self-critical, maintaining a clear awareness of our own strengths and weaknesses.
• create a dynamic learning environment with robust reporting, assessment and tracking procedures to ensure students are fully supported across all activities.
• encourage young people to take pride in everything that they aspire to do, in pursuit of academic excellence and contribution to school life including sport, music, drama, spiritual and charitable activities.
• think before speaking and understand that our actions affect others.
• support students to understand that risk taking and making mistakes is part of learning.
• provide opportunities for our students to develop their leadership skills, self-discipline, responsibility and emotional resilience.

Through achieving our aims, our students will possess the integrity, intellectual curiosity, ability to question, reason, think critically, and the resourcefulness to pursue their goals throughout their lives, making a positive contribution to our society.

*as referenced in the Charism of the Sisters of Sion