Our School:  Opportunity | Respect | Determination

Welcome to John Mason School.  Our school is an inclusive, mixed-gender comprehensive built around three core values: Opportunity, Respect and Determination.

Opportunity

Education is about opportunity and at John Mason we strive to ensure that our students experience a rich tapestry of opportunities during their years at school and in their lives beyond.  At John Mason we educate children from all over the world and who may go on to find their place anywhere in the world.  We believe that, given the right opportunities, our students can go on to achieve anything and in their time at John Mason we seek to open their eyes to the diverse and exciting world they inhabit.

Our curriculum is built around the principle of providing opportunities for our students in all fields.  We have a strong commitment to STEM subjects both in and beyond the classroom.  When you visit our school why not talk to some of our students from the computing, STEM and astronomy clubs about their passions and the opportunities they have been given from programming robots, to 3D printing to the stargazing trip to Wales.  

At John Mason we have always believed in the importance of creativity and the opportunities offered in the fields of visual and performing arts.  We’re proud of our music and drama departments and are confident that you’ll agree that the work produced by our art students is second to none.  See for yourself at one of our many concerts, performances or when you visit our Summer Art Exhibition held in our own ‘06 art gallery.

The Liberal Arts are not neglected and our daily reading programme allows our English teachers to introduce students to a wide range of texts in their time at John Mason.  The opportunity is widened with our excellent library where our librarian will be happy to introduce students to works by their favourite authors and new writers.  MFL students enjoy the opportunity to study a selection of languages including French, German, Spanish and Mandarin and our Humanities team offers students the opportunity to explore the world from their classrooms as they study the geography, culture and history of countries from every continent.  These opportunities extend beyond the classroom with visits to Germany, Italy, France and China all on offer during recent years, as well as the opportunity to visit the theatre and attend their first opera enjoyed by students in the last academic year, with many more exciting events planned for the future.

Juvenal first wrote ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ nearly 2000 years ago and his views remain as true today as then.  Students at John Mason have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of physical activities and sports during their time at school.  As well as fielding excellent teams in football, netball and rugby our curriculum introduces them to a diverse array of other sports including dance, futsal and lacrosse.  Our staff are always willing to go the extra mile to give students opportunities beyond the core curriculum - our GCSE students have specialised in a wide range of sports including swimming, golf and horse riding as part of their course.  We’re extremely proud of the opportunities offered for students to compete at high levels in their chosen sports as well as the wide array of talents on display at our annual Sports Day in Tilsley Park.

We believe that their time in school should be a time of rich opportunities, whatever our students’ individual interests and talents.  These opportunities are a stepping stone to the world beyond school and all of our programmes: curricular, personal development and super-curricular are designed to support students in taking advantage of the opportunities that life offers them.  From our support with transition to secondary school, to the diverse range of subjects offered at Sixth Form and throughout their time at school through our careers guidance programme we plan for our students’ lives after John Mason.  We are proud to have supported students to a wide range of post-16 and post-18 choices from Russell Group universities including Oxford and Cambridge to degree-level apprenticeships to Foundation Art courses.  Whatever their future holds, their time at John Mason helps to prepare them.

Respect

John Mason is an inclusive school with students and staff from a diverse range of backgrounds.  A truly comprehensive school, there is no selection by ability, gender, creed or any other means.  In this way, our school reflects the wider society of which our young people are a key part.

As part of their learning journey, we actively work to teach our students respect.  Respect for their friends and peers, for those from whom they differ, for adults and for the wider community.  In our personal development curriculum we explore a wide range of social issues and through our Religious Studies curriculum students learn about a wide range of different cultures and beliefs.  In our assembly and character development programmes we explore themes of tolerance, respecting differences and how to respond appropriately and respectfully to challenging situations.

In John Mason School we believe that student engagement is rooted in a community which they respect and which respects them in return.  As an inclusive school we place a strong emphasis on meeting students’ needs and our learning support and pastoral teams work with students and families to help them overcoming barriers to accessing the opportunities available in school, supporting them to respect the values and systems of the school community along the way.  Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques and our behaviour policies are built around the value of mutual respect.  

We believe that noticing and recognising the good is every bit as important as addressing times when standards fall short.  As such as use our active House System and weekly celebration assemblies to emphasise the positive achievements of students in our community and show our respect for those who live up to the school’s values and go above and beyond in their behaviour, learning and community service.  

Determination

Our culture and belief is that “everyone can be better”.  Throughout their lives our students will encounter challenges: emotional, social and academic.  In their time at John Mason we aim to help them develop the determination they need to overcome these and succeed.  

Our approach is based around the belief that resilience is not something we are born with but something we learn.   For students to show determination in the face of challenge and to be resilient enough to take advantage of the opportunities school, and life, offers they need an education that builds the skills of teamwork, resourcefulness and reflection on past successes and failures.  Through our personal development programme we teach students to reflect on their response to challenges whether academic, personal or social.  

A key part of our programme includes their out-of-school activities.  John Mason has a proud tradition of participation in outdoor activities and expeditions.  Former John Mason students remember their Welsh Farm Trip (currently in year 8) for the rest of their lives and this trip remains a life changing experience for many students.  After this they have the chance to participate in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme at all levels (bronze, silver and gold) and the challenges of this programme around learning new skills, volunteering, team-work and orienteering further help them develop into young people with the grit and determination to succeed in life.  All of these are designed to help them move beyond their comfort zones, reflect on their experiences and grow as individuals.  

We have a philosophy where staff and students are encouraged to take control of their attitude towards tasks – they have the choice about their attitude towards a task if not the task itself.  This starts before they join John Mason where we work with their primary schools to prepare them for secondary education.  When they join us our  7 year personal development programme including tutorial sessions, assemblies and character building challenges and workshops will work to prepare them for life beyond school.  They’ll explore themes such as managing emotions, dealing with stress and overcoming obstacles.  Over their time in John Mason our students will develop their voices, learn metacognitive strategies to learn from challenges and grow into young people with the resilience and determination to seize the opportunities life offers.