Vision & Values

Our school owes much to the Religious Society of Friends who founded the school here on Prospect Hill in 1774. We are the only Quaker School in Northern Ireland and have a long tradition of welcoming pupils from across the community. Although much has changed over the last 250 years, our Quaker heritage brings a stability that informs the values we think are important today.

Our motto, taken from the New Testament book of Colossians, is Quae Sursum Sunt Quaerite, or ‘seek those things that are above’, encourages pupils to look beyond themselves so that they can develop and flourish as individuals.

The acronym ASPIRE reminds us of our core values of Adventure, Sustainability, Peace, Integrity, Respect and Equality. Drawn from Quaker testimonies, they underpin everything we do in the classroom and beyond.

We encourage pupils at Friends’ to aspire to

live adventurously by taking risks in their learning and grasping the opportunities available to them
live sustainably, by looking after the resources they have
live at peace with themselves and others, by nurturing their wellbeing and helping to resolve conflict where they see it
live with integrity, by being honest in their dealings with others and to be true to their values
show respect to themselves and others, by prioritising good relationships and building the school community
promote equality, by valuing everyone for who they are and celebrating the contribution they make

Our Motto

Quae Sursum Sunt Quaerite

‘Seek those things that are above‘

New Testament, Book of Colossians

Take risks in our learning and grasp the opportunities available to us to explore the world around us.

Make good use of our resources and reduce our impact on the environment.

Nurture our wellbeing and to resolve conflict where we see it.

Be honest in our dealings with others and to be true to our values.

Nurture our talents and to build our school community.

Value everyone for who they are and to celebrate the contribution they make.