Our Ethos and Mission

At Ashbourne CNS we seek to provide a safe physical and social environment that reinforces a sense of belonging to the school community and wider society. We strive to enable every student to realise their full potential regardless of any aspect of their identity or background. We promote a fully inclusive education that recognises the plurality of identities, beliefs and values held by students, parents and staff. We prepare open-minded, culturally sensitive and responsible citizens with a strong sense of shared values.

Students, staff and parents at Ashbourne CNS are currently working together to define and refine our values and mission statement (please see the photographs below that tell the story of this journey so far). We intend to continue to refine these and develop a crest for our school that is made by us all and represents who we are and are trying to become. We are assisted in this creative process by Aisling Byrne our Creative Assistant under the Creative Schools initiative awarded to us by the Arts Council of Ireland.

The 4 values we have are:

• Courage
• Creativity
• Collaboration
• Care
Ashbourne CNS is a new school, started from scratch by a committed group of parents and educational professionals.

As teachers we endeavour...

• to be brave and have the courage to be different. To do what is right rather than what is easy or always has been. We use a Growth Mindset to help achieve this as well as promoting the approach with the children in our care.
• to be innovative in how we approach teaching and learning and to create interesting and fun lessons for all.
• to help in still a love of learning that creates independent and passionate critical thinkers.
• to work together with colleagues using collaborative reflective practices and best practice approaches to all areas of the curriculum.
• to collaborate with students as equal partners in the teaching and learning journey.
• to collaborate with parents and help develop mutual understandings of home and school life and responsibilities.
• to care for the whole child using a holistic approach to learning and development utilising Glasser’s Caring Habits and Restorative Practice approaches.
• to listen, encourage and support Newly Qualified and Experienced teachers through mentoring and coaching approaches and meetings.
• to accept trust and respect a variety of teaching approaches and learning styles.
• to care for one another by trying to understand points of view of others and seeing the bigger picture. We endeavour to care for more than just our own prerogative but consider the rights and responsibilities of the school as a whole and others in our community.

As students we endeavour...

• to be brave and try new things, try our best and keep going when things don’t go to plan.
• to think of new ways to solve problems, to focus on the journey as well as the destination.
• to work with each other so that everyone learns to the best of their ability. • to be kind and respectful to each other, negotiate our differences and accept everyone for who they are.
• to listen, encourage and support one another.

As parents we endeavour to...

Parents were surveyed in February 2020 and contributed to the development of the 4 core values at ACNS. The newly established Parent / School Partnership will work on the mission statements for parents over the coming months and complete this section.

As a school community we endeavour to...

Create a safe and happy space where everyone young and old can be themselves and continually discover and rediscover the joy of learning.

Core Values and Ethos at Ashbourne Community National School

Community National Schools are state, co-educational, multi-denominational schools underpinned by the core values of:

In Community National Schools, all students are given equal opportunities for enrolment in line with the Education (Admissions to School) Act 2018. In all aspects of school life all members of our school communities are treated equitably regardless of their race, gender, religion/belief, age, family status, civil status, membership of the Traveller community, sexual orientation, ability or socio-economic status.

Ashbourne Community National School