Our inclusivity value will be seen in action when our differences become our strength and achievement.

Our community value will be seen in action when pupils and adults are learning, loving, achieving and flourishing together.

Our service value will be seen in action when pupils are seeking the common good in all that they do.

Our empowerment value will be seen in action when our pupils are able to say, ‘I am special because………. and I am learning to excel at………’

Our purpose is clear: we want our pupils to achieve all that they possibly can and, in doing so, that they and their families experience the best quality of education and care.

We aspire for every pupil and adult to ‘experience life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10) 

Our mission is to empower our unique schools to excel. This is operated through a high level of accountability devolved to each Local Governing Body (LGB), which is supported by a “School to School” improvement model, facilitated by a core team of experienced professionals (i.e. ex-head teachers, lead HMI) at the centre of the organisation, in partnership with the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education.

All that we do across our trust is rooted in the Christian values of: wisdom, knowledge and skills; hope and aspiration; dignity and respect, as well as a commitment to building the community and living well together.

Each of our schools has a unique character of its own and we will work to ensure that this vision embraces all our pupils and adults, regardless of background and belief. We empower our schools to deliver a broad, enriched and exciting curriculum, coupled with a shared zest for life and learning.

We have identified 4 core values: Inclusivity, Community, Service, Empowerment that resonate with what we believe the ODBST Learner and Leader should follow.  They reflect the values that are central to our schools and the diocese. Through our values, we aim for excellence for everyone in our Trust. Building on the uniqueness of our pupils, families and school communities, we strive to enable everyone to develop and thrive intellectually, socially, culturally and spiritually.

 

At ODBST this means that everyone is accepted and supported, regardless of faith or culture. We will strive for everyone to be given every opportunity to reach their potential.  We believe everyone is unique and everyone matters.

Many pupils and staff in our schools will come from diverse home backgrounds and our pupils will be at different stages of their own academic and spiritual journey during their time in school. All pupils will receive support, guidance and challenge so that they are motivated, ambitious and courageous individuals who seek to be the best they can be. We embody the experience of an inclusive community, where we share our gifts, where the emphasis is on what we can contribute, rather than on what we might receive and where we give to each according to need.

“Our differences are our strength as a species and as a world community” Nelson Mandela 

 

At ODBST we work in unison with all our families. Together we learn, love, achieve and flourish. Within our family of schools, each individual is encouraged to discover and grow their talents to their fullest potential. We believe by encouraging, inspiring and building each other up we secure the best outcomes for every member of our community. 

We believe quality relationships and partnerships are a central element of interdependence: all are needed and valued and each person is important. We will work together to support each other so that everyone can make a contribution and everyone feels included. We encourage everyone to have a sense of pride in their community and the wider world. 

“The minute we become an integrated whole, we look through the same eyes and we see a whole different world together” Azizah Al-Hibri

 

We encourage everyone to look after themselves and others around them. We encourage children in our schools to seek the common good in all that they do through acts of kindness. ODBST believes that our gifts and talents are to be used in ways that will improve the lives of themselves and others.

We help children to develop skills that will allow them to participate fully and contribute positively to the social and cultural life of modern Britain, maximising opportunities for our children to serve their school and local community. We create a culture where serving one another and the wider community is celebrated and seen as an important mark of character development. We regularly invite visitors to our schools who are making a difference to society through their service and courageous advocacy, to inform and inspire us and to present positive role models with ethical and moral integrity for us to follow.

“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” Mahatma Gandhi

 

At ODBST we will encourage everyone to trust in their own capabilities and to recognise their potential. We want to challenge ourselves to be the best we can be – even when this becomes hard.

We will do this by leading by example, supporting and guiding one another, celebrating accomplishments, providing opportunities for all, developing confidence, resilience and perseverance in both our children and our adults. We will encourage curiosity with a mindset of continuous improvement and personal growth.  We want our pupils to be able to say, ‘I am special because………..  and I am learning to excel at………….’

"There is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind" Virginia Woolf