“Virtues to Live By” is a resource created by the Diocese of Leeds which we follow at St Mary’s. This resource seeks to support children’s virtue literacy and growth in particular virtues or excellences of character.

“Virtues to Live By” enables us all to explore each virtue over a three-week period (two per half term) to improve the school community’s virtue literacy and to deepen understanding and appreciation of the essential role that virtues play in the education of the whole person towards human flourishing. The virtues chosen are common across cultures and faiths but are sourced from the Christian tradition. They are linked directly to work in the Diocese of Leeds on virtues and character education (see companion documents here dioceseofleeds.org.uk/education/re-catholic-life/character-education).

At St Mary’s, we focus on one virtue every three weeks. The children think about what the virtue means, how we can see it in others and how we can manifest it in ourselves. Each week, an award is given to a member of each class in Friday's Celebration Assembly to a child who has 'lived' the virtue across the week. During the week, acts of worship and circle times take place in each class which link to the virtue. We have 'Signs of living the virtue' - things to 'notice' or look for that demonstrate the virtue. Teachers use the “Virtues to Live By” resources to reflect and deepen their own understanding of the virtues.  

St Mary’s is part of the Bishop Wheeler Academy Trust and works closely with it’s partner schools in all aspects of school life. Each half term, we join our friends at schools within our Trust on Zoom to share pupil led worships which focus on the virtues. All our children are involved in the planning of these worships, according to their age and stage of learning.

The virtues have been chosen to reflect the time of year. So, for example, we have love of learning at the beginning of the year when we are setting out our expectations, love of neighbour and self-control during the season of Lent, and prayer and generosity during Advent when we are waiting for the coming of Jesus at Christmas and thinking of how we can give to others during the Christmas season.

This year, we are on the second cycle of our virtues. Click on each term below to find out a little more. The signs of living the virtue will explain what kind of things we are all trying to see in each other.  

AUTUMN     

Love of Learning

Citizenship

Prayer

Generosity

SPRING     

Friendship

Love of Neighbour

Self-control

Reflection

SUMMER     

Confidence

Trust

Courage

Wisdom

Class Virtues and Saints

At St Mary’s, each class also has its own associated virtue, with each one chosen to have relevance for the children at their stage of learning. Throughout the year, children explore their class virtue so that they can deepen their understanding of each of these virtues as the journey through school.

Full details of our Class Virtues can be found below:  

Reception Love/Charity

Year 1 Hope  

Year 2 Faith   

Year 3 Justice  

Year 4 Courage  

Year 5 Practical Wisdom / Good sense  

Year 6 Solidarity  

Each class has a Class Saint, someone who the children can relate towards and from whom they can learn important messages for how to live their lives. These saints also link to the class virtue.

Reception – St Francis                                        

Year 1 - St Nicholas

Year 2 - St Peter  

Year 3 - St John Bosco

Year 4 – St George  

Year 5 - St Joseph  

Year 6 - St Theresa of Calcutta