The Hereford Academy, Hereford

Our Mission Statement

'Seek to do good to one another and to everyone’. Thessalonians 5:15

We at The Hereford Academy are dedicated to educating for hope, aspiration and wisdom. Inspired by God’s ongoing love and compassion for all people, and for the whole of creation, we exist as a family who learn to live well together. We believe that all human life is of intrinsic value, and it must be nurtured, cherished and celebrated. Together, we place dignity as central to a good education where all learn respect through understanding, practice and vigilant safeguarding.

Therefore, our mission is to deliver God’s promise of a life in all its fullness, where all flourish and fulfil their unique, God-given potential. We open up horizons of hope and aspiration by remaining proudly committed to giving special consideration, to those who are disadvantaged and coping wisely when reconciling those who seek salvation, having lost their way.

We delight in wisdom, are passionate about pursuing it and are committed to excellence. We show this through our attitude to learning, as well as how we conduct ourselves. We achieve through perseverance, even when we find things difficult, as we always hope for a better outcome and future. We practice self-control in our words and actions, and act with honesty. We expect everyone to work hard and to the best of their ability.

We seek to educate the whole person, pursuing academic achievement, while also developing confident and caring citizens who make positive contributions to wider society. We do so through the principles of Aspiration, Care, Resilience, Trust and, Respect.

Our School Values

Aspiration

"Brothers, I consider that I, myself, have not yet taken hold [of Christ’s ultimate purpose for me]. But there is one thing that I am doing; I am forgetting about my past and reaching forward to what lies ahead." (Philippians 3:13).  Jesus taught us the Parable of the Talents to remind us that God is a ‘God of Growth’. Everything he entrusts to us we are to return many fold through honest dealings. God rewards the go-getters and risk takers. Are you using everything you were given to its fullest potential or are you digging holes and burying it?

Aspiration means we are honest with ourselves about how we wish to grow and be.  We have a clear vision of how we will seek a better future for ourselves, for others and our environment.   We do not fatigue as we work to achieve excellence in all that we do.  We strive to heal, repair and renew our lives, our communities and our world.  We promote hope and respect by encouraging the whole of creation to stretch themselves spiritually, morally, intellectually actively and aspire to be well-educated.

Care

"So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet." (John 13:14) The night before he died, Jesus took a bowl of water and a towel and washed his disciples’ feet.  He told the disciples he was setting an example for them to follow – an example of love and service.

Care is shown through practical actions and considerate behaviour.  We work for justice – for ourselves, for others and the environment.  We work to build reconciliation and peace in our communities and in our world.  We promote care in school through student leadership and volunteering, and in our community through partnerships with local organisations including our local church, other schools and the South Wye community.

Trust

"While he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him." (Luke 15:20b).  

Jesus taught about the generous love which God the Father has for us. He told the story of a son who asked his father for half of everything he owned. The son left home, spent all the money and then came back when he had nothing. The father showed generosity of spirit – instead of being angry, he had compassion on his son, forgave him and welcomed him home.

Trust is shown through our attitude towards others.  Trust is about sharing what we have, and about giving value to other people. We remember the importance of all human relationships, try to act out of love instead of fear, and show compassion and kindness towards other people. We try to show forgiveness when someone has hurt us, not holding grudges but being willing to let go and move on. We respect ourselves and other people, especially those whose opinions, faith or culture are different from our own. We show thankfulness for all the goodness in our lives, and for the opportunities we have been given.

Resilience

“In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.” (Colossians 3:23)  The Bible reminds us that we are called into being by God and made in his image.  God fills us with the Holy Spirit to equip us with the gifts we need to fulfil his calling for us. We are called to nurture our gifts and talents by aspiring to the highest standards in our work, offering everything we do as a gift to God.

Resilience is shown through our attitude to learning and how we conduct ourselves.  We show perseverance when we find things difficult and live in hope for a better future.  We practice self-control in our words and our actions, and act with honesty.  We practice good stewardship by using our time, talents and money wisely.  We expect everyone to work hard to the best of their ability, to be on time with the equipment they need, and to look smart and professional.  We set high aspirations to help everyone fulfil their unique, God-given potential, and we celebrate each other’s achievements.

Respect

“So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” (Matthew 7:12) When passing Bartimaeus, the blind man begging in the street, Jesus showed him great respect. Jesus healed him by reviving his sight, but before this, he called out to the man, knowing he was being denied dignity by society, and asked ‘How can I serve you?’ Jesus taught us to treat others equally, with respect, whether or not we see their value.

Respect is shown by how we maintain relationships as well as the attitude we show towards ourselves and others. We show a generosity of spirit towards others.  Generosity is about sharing what we have, and about giving value to other people.  We always show gratitude by thanking all people for their assistance and support.  We are sincere when we thank and praise others, showing respect for their efforts.  We are reliable, by always doing what we say we will do, respecting the time of others by being prepared and enthusiastic.  We will volunteer to help others when it seems like they need it, especially when it isn’t required of us.  We will also always allow others to have dignity by respecting their abilities and know when to step back and let another prove themselves or solve a problem on their own.