THE MOTTO "God loves us" has transformed a failing Catholic primary school in Birmingham, writes Citra Sidhu.
Last year, St Clare's Catholic primary school, in Handsworth, which has in the past been plagued with high under-achievement and severe disruption in classes, came 14th out of 250 in the national league test tables. The knowledge that "God loves us" pervades every aspect of the school, where the majority of pupils are not Catholic.
Head teacher Kevin Cassidy took over 15 years ago and was determined to run an effective Catholic school despite the nonCatholic majority.
The vision he developed is one where the Gospel is placed at the heart of school discipline and life.
The Catholic staff work together to bring about an ethos of respect, discipline, warmth and hard work backed by stories on the life of Christ.
"Mr Cassidy firmly believes that a Catholic school, provided it retains its true character, can serve the . wider community," said a colleague.