Mission Statement

Blakestown Community School is committed to developing our school community by fostering academic and personal development in an inclusive and caring environment through enhancing the quality of learning for all our students.

We are a values-driven school

1. BCS is a sustainable and democratic school that promotes equality and equity by:

empowering learners through the development of critical thinking skills and collaboration, thereby fostering a deep understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
empowering learners to engage in dialogue and debate, to consider all viewpoints, embrace differences and participate in decision-making processes.
being grounded in positive relationships, restorative in nature.
preparing learners to be socially, environmentally, ethically and digitally responsible global citizens.
promoting an equality-based and inclusive Admissions Policy and enacting educational practices that are guided by the principles of inclusion and wellbeing.

2. BCS is a holistic school, which:

affirms that both traditional and digital literacy and numeracy transcend all areas of learning, leading to teaching, learning, assessment and reporting which is socially and personally relevant and environmentally and ethically sound.
promotes and values the arts.
actively provides for physical and mental wellbeing.
encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning, on a lifelong continuum, in preparation for a continually changing employment landscape.
enlightens, challenges and widens students’ perspectives of the world around them, encouraging reflection and engagement with local and global issues.
balances knowledge, understanding, skills and values throughout its curriculum and related teaching, learning, assessment and reporting model.
encapsulates the learning experiences a learner can have, encompassing all the cognitive, affective and aesthetic learning domains.

3. BCS is a student-centred school, in which:

formative assessment is the norm in the classroom and summative assessment is used cautiously to confirm learning, and as a diagnostic tool when appropriate.
there is a balance between higher and lower order questioning and where we seek evidence of critical thinking and metacognitive analysis from the learner.
student voice, student participation and student leadership are promoted and facilitated.
learners are enabled to take control of and become active agents in their own education.
learner choice and engagement are reflected through the facilitation of pathways into further education, apprenticeships, internships and 3rd Level

We are an integrated and reflective school

4. BCS is a highly coherent school which:

champions collaboration as the cornerstone to providing a coherent learning experience
is characterised by integrated curricula and supports across levels, which result in smooth transitions for students.
a choice of general, vocational or applied pathways are offered at senior cycle, actively supporting all educational opportunities.
fosters regular internal dialogue and dialogue between the various stakeholders involved in education provision, with the aim of agreeing a shared vision for what education should empower learners to achieve.

5. BCS is a school in which professional responsibility:

is the hallmark of highly qualified teachers and leaders, cognisant that professional, respectful dialogue and deliberation are key traits of reflective practitioners, and that teachers and leaders are themselves lifelong learners.
drives us all to build capacity and carry out leadership roles in an innovative environment.
is nurtured through national and internal CPD, which emphasises deep engagement, risk-taking, focussed theoretical discussion and the construction of knowledge, thereby empowering teachers to build professional networks with one another, develop Communities of Practice and increase teacher autonomy.
is respectful and supportive of a blend of different pedagogical approaches.

6. BCS is a responsive school which:

adapts to the needs of leaders, teachers and learners based on highly effective national and international practice.
manages, leads and mediates change to respond to the evolving needs of the school and changes in education.
utilises the inspection process to affirm good practice and guide where necessary.
facilitates curricula being adapted to suit a local need.
engages in regular dialogue with all educational partners and support services, adapting provision as necessary to maximise learner experiences and outcomes.

Characteristic spirit and general objectives of the school

Blakestown School Community school is a co-educational multi-denominational post-primary school under the joint patronage of Le Chéile Schools Trust and DDLETB.

Community Schools provide a comprehensive system of post-primary education open to all the children of the local community. An innovative approach to delivery of a wide- ranging curriculum contributes to the spiritual, moral, mental, physical and social well- being of students within their community. Community Schools may also provide for life-long learning within their local community through the provision of adult education programmes.

Our school was established under the Deed of Trust and opened on September 1st 1979. The school was built on a greenfield site. The values of DDLETB as a multi-denominational State Body and the inherited traditions, Christian values and founding intentions of Le Chéile Schools Trust are enshrined in the characteristic spirit and in the life of our school and are respected and cherished.

The core values of Blakestown Community School are care, respect, community, inclusion, equality, justice and fairness. These values combine to provide and support an atmosphere which is conducive to excellence in teaching and learning. We endeavour to assist each student to reach his/her full potential in a calm, caring and creative environment.

Our values are reflected in how we live as a school community. The unique and intrinsic value of each member of the school community is recognised and respected. All are treated equally, regardless of race, gender, religion/belief, age, family status, marital status, civil status, membership of the Traveller community, sexual orientation, ability, disability or socio-economic status. All students are given equal opportunity for enrolment, in line with the Education (Admissions to School) Act (2018) construed in accordance with section 3 of the Equal Status Act 2000. Once enrolled, our school provides all our students with equal opportunities to engage with the curriculum, school life and the local community.

Our school provides a safe physical and social environment that reinforces a sense of belonging to the school community and wider society. We strive to enable every student to realise their full potential regardless of any aspect of their identity, culture or background. Our school promotes a fully inclusive education which recognises the plurality of identities, beliefs and values held by students, parents and staff. ;\Te prepare open-minded and responsible citizens with a strong sense of shared values with a view to contributing to a just and fairer society.

Our school is multi-denominational where we welcome, respect and support students of all religions and beliefs. The provision of religious education, religious worship and the work of the Chaplain all combine to reflect the founding intention of the school, the school’s mission statement and the needs of the students within the school. The characteristic spirit of the school finds practical expression through the provision of pastoral, liturgical and social outreach activities, as appropriate, for each student.

In Blakestown Community School, we celebrate the partnership, collaboration and empathy which nurtures and develops our young people in a community where the essence of our ethos is care and respect for self, others, and our environment.

School Aims

Blakestown Community School seeks to:

educate students within a Christian and co-educational environment, which is multi-denominational, community-based, progressive and student-centred.
cherish the unique contribution of each student and remain true to our motto, Education for Living.
promote and facilitate the holistic development of all our students by stimulating their intellectual, creative, physical, social and artistic talents in an atmosphere of challenge and support.
reinforce the self-esteem of our students through positive affirmation in an environment where effort will be recognised and rewarded
pursue excellence in teaching and learning, confident of its value in society
support our students as individuals as they travel through the formative life-phase of adolescence, as manifested in our guidance, counselling and pastoral support structures
pursue the highest standards of learning and achievement for all students
promote a sports and cultural programme that recognises and develops the talents of students, parents and teachers
provide learning and leisure opportunities for the wider community, including parents, local residents and the employees of local businesses via the school’s community education programme.

Summary

Blakestown Community School encourages all students to become confident, responsible and successful individuals who will make a positive contribution to society. All parties in the school will also strive to ensure that the learning community of students will experience an ambitious, supportive and caring spirit in the school cognisant of the array of talents, abilities and diverse needs of the student population.

The day to day management of the school, supported by all the resources of the school at its disposal, e.g. committed teachers and leaders, guidance counsellors, chaplain, HSCLO, learning support teachers and SNAs, will foster a community that is supportive and understanding of the diverse needs of the student body. They will create an atmosphere of belonging for all, establish activities, events and occasions to foster and inspire students in keeping with the aims and objectives outlined in this Admissions Policy to enable the student body:

To have the highest expectations of themselves and each other
To show respect for all in the school community
To tolerate and celebrate the diversity of our student body and our community
To respect the dignity and ambition of others and to be ambitious for their own success in life by developing the skills they need for the future
To develop as intellectually curious lifelong learners
To be socially, environmentally, ethically and digitally responsible global citizens
To actively promote and sustain their own emotional and physical wellbeing, to promote and respect that of others in our school and to foster a sense of responsibility and resilience

Our motto in Blakestown Community School is: