We are proud of our Motto at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School: “To be just and firm of purpose.” This was the Motto Archbishop Ilsley chose when he became Archbishop of Birmingham in 1911.

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Welcome to the Catholic Life area of our website. Our values are inspired by St Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Jesuits as a way to clearly understand and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour.

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We are a Catholic school for all and believe that by nurturing a deeper appreciation of the Jesuit virtues and teachings of the Catholic Church, that the Good News of Jesus Christ can be lived out in each student so that they will be influential, kind and compassionate citizens, our saints of the 21st century.

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The Jesuit virtues are an illustration of this aim. Saint Oscar Romero quoted Archbishop Untener’s speech about our futures:

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“That is what we are about.
We plant a seed that will one day grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations
that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces effects
far beyond our capabilities.”

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This quote helps us to understand Jesus’ parable of the Mustard Seed.  

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We like to think that the beginning of this parable is about our Year 7 and new students to the school and the end of the parable our school leavers be in year 11 or 13.

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Each half term we focus on a pair of Jesuit virtues and link to them a key church teaching.

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These virtues are included in the themes used in assemblies and collective worship as well as activities during tutor time. We hope that by reflecting on these teachings' students will appreciate that at Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School we believe each member of our community is willed by God before time, created in God’s image and is called by God to fulfil a specific purpose that is unique to them.