Culture, Ethos & Values
“Bona Facite” Do Good; Honour, Integrity, Service
St Boniface’s Catholic College Plymouth is a year 7-11 secondary school for boys where we pride ourselves on enabling healthy and happy personal, spiritual and academic growth.
Whilst the importance of teaching our students the right skills to ensure academic progress is always a core objective in our mission, it is not our sole aim. Here at St Boniface’s we approach each day with a ‘Life to the Full’ attitude and this is supported by our Catholic faith which enriches our lives and provides for us the understanding of living with deeper purpose, and doing good for ourselves, others and our world.
Our mission is to ensure that all our students, most of whom start with us as boys, develop into young men, who demonstrate and radiate the Catholic Virtues, through H.I.S: Honour, Integrity and Service.
To implement this mission our curriculum is based on the 7 Virtues which are embedded within the Hallmarks identifying who we are as a faith based learning community.
- Faith: We proclaim by our lives even more than by our words that God is good.
- Temperance: We honour the dignity and sacredness of each person.
- Justice: We educate for and act on behalf of justice and peace in the world.
- Charity: We commit ourselves to community service.
- Hope: We embrace the gift of diversity.
- Fortitude: We create community among those with whom we work and with those we serve.
- Prudence: We develop holistic learning communities which educate for life.
The hallmarks are active descriptors of how learning occurs and links both directly and indirectly to the teachings of the Catholic Church. The full descriptors of our Hallmarks can be found in our statement of curriculum intent.
Despite our identity as a Catholic Christian school we welcome into our family young people from other faith backgrounds and those with none, which helps us to recognise how diversity enriches the lives of all and helps us to grow .
We are proud to stand up for what we believe in but we do not force others to follow, our mission is to help guide and encourage our students along their own spiritual and personal route in life but with a strong moral purpose based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and our motto of Do Good: Honour, Integrity, Service.
St Boniface’s Catholic College is big enough to matter but small enough to care.
Our Mission Statement
“St Boniface’s College is a Roman Catholic Christian Community. It is committed to striving for excellence in all its members through the delivery of a broad and balanced curriculum involving spiritual, moral, cultural, academic, social and physical education, delivered to the whole young person. All teaching and learning is done within the context of the teaching of the Catholic faith.”
Chaplaincy
Our chaplaincy team is made up of a core team of Fathers Jonathan Bielawski and Jacek Kostuch and lay chaplain, Miss Fiona Hutchings . This core team is supported by all members of staff and the many students who take part in activities.
The core team is there to promote the Catholic ethos of the college through word, worship, witness, welcome and welfare. The lay chaplain, who is part time and the assistant chaplain, who is full time, are based in the chapel area and are available to provide pastoral support. We encourage students and staff to drop in for an informal chat. We can provide a listening ear and support in troubled times. Our parish priests also provide regular sacramental and pastoral support. They visit our classes and are a frequent presence in the school.
At St.Boniface’s we celebrate the liturgical year through planned services and celebrations which focus on the key feasts and events of the year. Parents are welcome to join us for those events such as the Carol Service or Easter Reflections which take place in the parish church.
The core team works with an extended team of teachers and support staff to provide other experiences for students which will support their spiritual development. Every year group has an annual retreat day organised by the RE team. Year 7 students all take part in a residential retreat at Buckfast Abbey.
In addition students prepare and take part in assemblies on a regular basis encouraging them to reflect deeply and in a prayerful way on the issues they face in today’s world.
The chapel is open every school day and everyone is welcome to visit at any time to have a moment of quiet reflection or to speak with one of the chaplains. You will always receive a welcome. We are here to serve.
Fiona Hutchings
A Message from Mark O’Toole, Bishop of Plymouth
I have been aware in visiting the different parts of the city – and indeed the Diocese – of the impact that St Boniface’s has had on so many people’s lives. Among others who have been richly blessed by their time in the school I was delighted to meet a number of Priests who were educated at St Boniface College.
There have always been good Shepherds in the Church with the mind of Christ Jesus, the one true Shepherd – and with his compassionate and merciful heart. Your Patron – St Boniface – was one such good Shepherd. Born about the year 673 he lived firstly as a student and as a teacher in a Monastic school, and then himself went on to be a great missionary traveller, taking the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to various parts of Europe. He is remembered today particularly in Germany.
I have been aware in visiting the different parts of the city – and indeed the Diocese – of the impact that St Boniface’s has had on so many people’s lives. Among others who have been richly blessed by their time in the school I was delighted to meet a number of Priests who were educated at St Boniface College.
There have always been good Shepherds in the Church with the mind of Christ Jesus, the one true Shepherd – and with his compassionate and merciful heart. Your Patron – St Boniface – was one such good Shepherd. Born about the year 673 he lived firstly as a student and as a teacher in a Monastic school, and then himself went on to be a great missionary traveller, taking the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to various parts of Europe. He is remembered today particularly in Germany.
He was clearly a gifted communicator and came across to those who met him as a free man. He was able to convince, through debate and argument, so that many came to believe in the person of Jesus Christ and the power of His Gospel, such that many found freedom themselves through what St Boniface taught.
St Boniface was also a tremendously courageous person. Wherever he encountered opposition he would entrust that person to the mercy of God. He was such a good Shepherd that he was willing to lay down his life for the cause of the spiritual freedom of others, and was put to death for what he believed.
It is my hope and prayer that students and staff will be inspired by the rich heritage of their namesake, so that they can be courageous and powerful witnesses to the truth in our own day. May such a sense of missionary outreach to others be part of all of our lives and may St Boniface College continue to prepare men to live truthful and free lives after the example of their Patron.
St Boniface, pray for us.
Mark, Bishop of Plymouth
St Boniface, pray for us.
Mark, Bishop of Plymouth