Ethos Statement
St Matthew’s National School is a Church of Ireland school, under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin.
It is a community where all pupils are equally valued and respected – irrespective of gender, social background, family circumstance, educational achievement, physical characteristics or intellectual functioning. Pupils experience a sense of caring and belonging, they are treated fairly and their spiritual, moral and religious development is encouraged as is their intellectual, social and academic achievement.
It is a community where moral values such as honesty, truthfulness, justice, fairness, sensitivity to others, and civic responsibility are nurtured and protected. The justification for these qualities is based on Biblical teaching as received by the Church of Ireland and those churches with which it is in communion.
St Matthew’s National School is a part of the local church community and has strong links with the parish of St Matthew, Irishtown. This, for example, is shown by the fact that pupils attend services in St Matthew’s church and the Rector visits the school on a regular basis as Chaplain and Chairperson of the Board of Management.
The work of the school is conducted in an atmosphere of tolerance and respect for religious differences. The admission policy of St Matthew’s National School allows those of other denominations, faiths or none to become pupils.
Religious education occupies a central position in the school curriculum and is regarded as a core subject. The teaching of religious doctrine is restricted to specific times in the school timetable but moral, religious and spiritual values underlie the teaching of all subjects and on occasion themes and topics will be integrated across a number of subjects.
St Matthew’s National School is one where the traditions and teaching of the Church of Ireland inform the position taken in regard to moral issues which arise in the teaching of secular subjects.
The school nurtures freedom of thought and a personal relationship with God. This is most evident in the teaching of Religious Education, and in the prayer life of the school community.
The school recognises the complementary role of parents and teachers in education in pursuing the common aim of educating the children in accordance with the Revised Primary Curriculum and with the aim of having every child receiving appropriate education, subject to the availability of resources, and achieving their potential in all the activities of the school. The school seeks to encourage the talents of every pupil and to affirm their individuality and personal development.
The school is managed by a board of management composed of representatives of the school community and the wider community and the board acts in accordance with the procedures set out by the Department of Education and Science and with the aim of serving pupils and their families and resourcing and affirming the teachers and other staff.
Parents are asked to consider this statement of ethos carefully before enrolling their child in the school. Enrolment implies acceptance of the aims and ethos of the school and a willingness to work in the spirit of partnership which underlies the school’s life and in all matters relating to the individual child.