Mission, Ethos & Values
Our Mission Statement:
An Ampleforth Education is an invitation to young people to discover the value and the purpose of life, by entering into a transforming encounter with Christ through active participation in the life of a living Christian Community.
Mission
Our Mission Statement is:
An Ampleforth Education is an invitation to young people to discover the value and the purpose of life, by entering into a transforming encounter with Christ through active participation in the life of a living Christian Community.
What does our Mission mean for our school community?
"Who here yearns for life?" (qui vult vitam), (Prologue to the Rule of St Benedict)
"Christ is alive! He is our hope, and in a wonderful way he brings youth to our world, and everything he touches becomes young, new, full of life. The very first words, then, that I would like to say…are these: Christ is alive and he wants you to be alive!", (Pope Francis to Young People, 2019)
We believe life is the wholehearted and free gift of people who matter to God and to each other.
We draw our inspiration from:
- The Gospel: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (Jn 10:10)
We stand in the tradition of:
- St Benedict, whose name means ‘the one who is blessed’ and ‘the one who blesses.’
The power of an Ampleforth Education is that it is not first of all taught, but lived, shared, and embodied in service: a family that grows and flourishes through cherishing the unique gift of each and every girl’s and boy’s life and future; and accepting responsibility for each other by the mutual blessing of a deep accompaniment.
Our Benedictine Ethos
Our founders and neighbours, the Benedictine monks of Ampleforth Abbey, bestowed a character and purpose to our Catholic educational mission which is more compelling in today’s transactional and commoditised world than ever before.
Benedictine life is woven into everything we do here, permeating far more deeply than just formal acts of worship. Our students learn how they can become better people through our shared life together and wanting the best for each other. They develop a strong sense of respect for - and service to - others.
Ampleforth College offers a transformative experience, a journey of self-knowledge, self-acceptance, and self-giving. Students recognise their own unique talents, realise that we grow and learn from our differences, and that we all have something to offer. Amplefordians are inspired to be grounded, discerning, thoughtful, compassionate and proactive members of society. They contribute and do good in the world.
Our Values
Catholic education and Benedictine principles underpin everything we do at Ampleforth, whether a student or member of staff is Catholic or not. We believe that humanity is a gift that we receive through others and that our relationships unlock the unique potential in each person. Our core values are:
Respect: recognising and nurturing the unique talents of every individual and oneself, understanding that we grow and learn from our differences and are made a better person by each other.
Hospitality: committing to live in such a way as to be welcoming and open to all, and to invite people to experience living life more fully in our community.
Attentiveness: being sensitive to the needs of others as well as one’s own needs and supporting the mutual well-being of everyone in the community; wanting what is best for each other.
Equilibrium: nurturing the well-being and resilience of each individual and one’s own, and thereby of the community, to achieve mental and emotional balance and personal fulfilment.
Stewardship: cultivating a sense of responsibility and care for the people and the world around us, as well as oneself, to ensure our community and environment thrive.
Integrity: developing within ourselves strong principles, sound judgement, and the resilience needed to do the right thing.
Catholic Educators
At Ampleforth, we pride ourselves on being Catholic educators. We are not simply aware of our responsibility in this regard, but able to integrate it into everything we do, whether we are Catholic or not.
Catholic Education is driven by a spiritual understanding of the human person.The spirit means the unique centre of a person on which everything else is predicated. Therefore, it is the place where the very best of a person can be found, and who a person is, uniquely.
Catholic Education seeks to:
- draw them out as a way of encouraging growth and formation
- recognise both these things.
What you need to do this is:
- the right environment
- and the right relationships.
How we do this in a Benedictine way:
- We have a deep respect for place, and the place where this takes place, where people feel both cherished and inspired
- Belonging to a community of enduring relationships.
How does this work? Through the three tables characterised by the Benedictine Core Values:
- Community – where recognition of who a person is takes place
- Faith - where recognition of the value of a person takes place
- Scholarship – where these are drawn out by the opportunities to discover the world and take responsibility for it.
Ampleforth celebrates our students flourishing through the enduring value and contribution of Catholic education as a service to the church and the world.
Fr Ambrose Henley OSB
Dean
The school’s ‘Benedictine’ principles are woven through all aspects of school life
Ofsted
Ofets
