Headteacher’s Welcome

A very warm welcome to our website, and thank you for your interest in our academy.

St. Bernadette’s Catholic Primary Voluntary Academy offers a rich and wholesome education for 3–11 year old children in Ashby, Scunthorpe. Upon entering our academy, children are welcomed into a warm and loving environment, beginning a journey with us during which, at every step, they will be helped and encouraged to grow, blossom, and flourish into the person God created them to be.

We are passionate about inspiring children with the joy of learning, providing an ambitious, well-rounded education, full of challenge and rigour; fun and creativity; excitement and wonder. St. Bernadette’s is a place where hard work and effort are championed; achievements big or small are praised; success is celebrated; and mistakes are not criticized but rather seen as opportunities to learn and grow; and we strive to ensure that each child endeavours to work hard to make the very best progress that they can during their time with us, and attain the very highest academic standards of which they are capable.

Moreover, we encourage children to strive for excellence in all that they do in every aspect of life in our academy, shaped as it is by a strong Catholic ethos centred on love of God and love of neighbour, so we extend a very warm welcome to you all in the Holy Name of Jesus.

From our founding days, the absolute bedrock of this school and the firm foundation on which everything has been built is an enduring faith in Jesus Christ. Our school was founded 70 years ago on the faith and generosity of the hard-working parishioners of St. Bernadette’s Catholic Church on Ashby Road, and it is to them we owe a heartfelt debt of gratitude today.

Now, as then, all that we do is permeated by a humble Christian spirit which acknowledges the loving Presence of Christ among us, and on Whom we base our seven Cornerstone Values: Love; Virtue and Goodness; Prayer and Service; Radiance; Joy; Wonder; and Excellence; all of which encourage children, through the practise of the Christian virtues, to be well-behaved; polite and courteous; and of good moral character, pursuing what is good, honourable, and noble in the actions of their daily lives, and by doing so, reflecting the Light of Christ to the world.

As a former pupil who loved my time at this school, it is a great honour for me to be serving this school as its Headteacher, and to be leading such an exceptionally dedicated and talented team of staff who day in, day out, work so incredibly hard in humble service of the children and their families, the parish of St. Bernadette’s, and the wider local community, empowering children to give of their very best in striving to fulfil their God-given potential and readying them to contribute generously to society in service of others.

We place great emphasis on fostering strong links between home, school, and parish, and recognise the importance of these partnerships in helping our children to thrive. Our school is pleased to benefit from being part of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, which is a diocesan-led family of 36 Catholic schools working collectively for the good of our children, young people, and families across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.

If you would like to find out more about our friendly and welcoming school, or would like to arrange a visit, please contact the Academy Office on 01724 842382 or email admin@stbernadettesacademy.com

We very much look forward to meeting you and hopefully being given the opportunity to work with you and your children in the near future.

With my very best wishes,

Mark Strong
Headteacher