Christian Vision and values

'May the God of peace,... that great Shepherd of sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will.'  Hebrews 13:20-21

As a church school our school vision is deeply rooted in a Christian narrative, the story of the Good Shepherd (John 10) and the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15, Matthew 18)  The story encapsulates perfectly what we think is special about our school - just as the Shepherd gives his all to secure the safety of every last sheep and helps them to thrive, so our staff give their all to create a safe and loving environment for every child so that they can be the best that they can be.   We prepare our children to go out into the world equiped with everything that is good for the good of all. 

At our school, we educate the whole child - their heart and mind. Our children become learners for life through the rich curriculum we provide that builds on the talents of every individual to ensure they reach their full potential, as God intended. 

Our Core Values

Love

Love is our over-arching value and is our golden thread that is reflected throughout all school life.  Children at our school are well known as individuals, we aim to support every child in whatever way they need.  We teach and nurture respect and inclusion and work hard to celebrate diversity. 

'I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you should also love one another.'  John 13:34-35

Courage

Jesus has inspired us to be courageous and to stand up for what is right. We believe that with God’s help and with the encouragement of our families, friends and teachers, we can be courageous when facing challenges, stand against injustice and be the best we can be when things are difficult.

‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith;be courageous; be strong.  Do everything in love.  Corinthians 16:13-14

Compassion

We educate our children for community and living well together by supporting their developement of compassion for others.  We aim to treat others how we would like to be treated, show empathy in a wide range of circumstances and help people so they feel cared for, just as God cares for us.

‘Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience’. Colossians 3:12

Truth

Our whole school family is built upon our strong foundations of Truth and love. Through our strong family we encourage every child and adult to flourish and grow and to reach their fullest potential. 

'Therefore, putting away lying, let every man speak truth with his neighbour, for we are members for one another.'
Ephesians 4:25

We are a Church of England School with an inclusive admissions policy - everyone is very welcome at our school. Our ethos is based on Christian values and these underpin our approach to learning and understanding the world around us. We encourage children to think, to listen and ask questions about faith and beliefs, and learn about the varied cultural world that we live in.

We have a close relationship with the local ministers and churches and they regularly come into school for assemblies, services and special events. Each week we have an 'Open the Book' collective worship, which explores a different story from the bible. Members of the church community run ‘Kidz Club’, a weekly after school club held at our school.

We also endeavour to provide experience of other religions by inviting visitors to share what their faith means to them.

"It shouldn’t take any intervention from my department to say that young people should be learning the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, tolerance and respect ‐ because these British values are fundamentally a good thing. Fundamental British values are the attributes that have in this century and the last, made our country one of the greatest forces for good. They’re the values that bind us together, that mean despite the many differences in our nation, we’re united as one people. … so I’m unapologetic in saying that no school should be exempt from promoting fundamental British values, just as no school should be exempt from promoting rigorous academic standards."

(Rt Hon Nicky Morgan: Why Knowledge Matters, 27 January 2015)

"… the Bible has helped to give Britain a set of values and morals which make Britain what it is today."

(David Cameron)

The requirement for schools to prepare pupils for modern life with a focus on British values is relatively new, but Church schools have long been familiar with the need to articulate their fundamental Christian values. Both sets of values overlap and one can clearly argue that the government’s stated British values have emerged from Britain’s long history as a Christian nation.

The key Christian beliefs that underpin both Christian Values and British values are that:

• God is a God of order, and that his world should reflect a sense of purpose, not chaos
• Every person is made in the image of God, known, loved and valued as a unique creation.
• Humans are designed to be interdependent, supporting others and being supported, like a body with many parts.
• The Bible provides laws to govern human affairs, but these also show up human weakness and the need for forgiveness
• The greatest command is to LOVE – God, oneself, one’s neighbour, and even one’s enemy – and, for a Christian, to love as Christ loved us.

The Bible and British Values

The following Bible passages and stories could be linked to the British value headings. These could be used in the classroom or collective worship, or as general discussion starters.

Democracy

• "See I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction now choose life that you and your children may live." Deuteronomy 30 v.15‐19
• Calling the disciples Matthew 4 v.18‐21
• The quarrel about who should sit at Jesus right and left hand in heaven Matthew 20 v.20‐23

Rule of Law

• "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established." Romans 13 v.1
• Jesus teaches about the law Matthew 5 v.17‐20
• Paying taxes to Caesar Luke 20 v.21‐25
• Be “in” the world not “of” the world ‐ Isaiah 2,3,11
• The wisdom of Solomon 1 Kings 3 v.16‐28
• Zacchaeus Luke 9 v.1‐10
• Moses and the Ten Commandments Exodus 20 v.1‐20
• Jesus’ new commandment John 13 v.34

Individual liberty

• Christ has set us free - Galatians 5 vs 1
• The truth sets us free ‐ John 8 v.32
• Adam and Eve – free to do wrong ‐ Genesis 2 v. 3
• Ten Lepers freed from the constraints of their illness Luke 17 v.11‐19
• Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane debating duty ‐ Matthew 26 v.36‐46
• The rich young man imprisoned by his own riches ‐ Matthew 19 v.16‐22
• The two builders and choosing your lifestyle ‐ Matthew 7 v.24-27
• Zacchaeus ‐ Luke 19 v.1‐10 <

Mutual respect

• Be devoted to one another, love one another above yourselves ‐ Romans 12 v.10
• We are made in the image of God ‐ Genesis 1 v.27
• Good Samaritan freely helps his enemy ‐ Luke 10 v.29‐37
• Creation is good ‐ Genesis chp 1
• The soldier’s unexpected faith in a “subject” teacher ‐ Luke 7 v/1‐10
• Mary and Martha, the importance of listening to others ‐ Luke 10 v.38‐41
• Jesus washed the disciples feet like the lowliest servant ‐ John 13 v.1‐20
• Story of Ruth, respect for relatives and for the poor ‐ Ruth 1‐4

Tolerance of different cultures and religions

• Do not judge others and you will not be judged ‐ Matthew 7 v.1
• Naaman learns respect for other nations ‐ 2 Kings 5
• Good Samaritan ‐ Luke 10 v.29‐37
• Jesus and the children his disciples tried to push away ‐ Matthew 19 v.13‐15
• The woman at the well, despised by her village yet Jesus got into a theological debate with her ‐ John 4 v.1‐26

Collective Worship is a focus point of our day where we all join together to share success, think about the world around us and reinforce the ethos and values of our school. An important part of our Collective Worship is where we give children and sometimes staff, the opportunity to share the peace and listen to stories in various forms, that are based on Christian values and themes and how they relate to lives in the past and the present. There is a time for quiet and reflection and for those who wish to, to take part in prayer. Our worship is inclusive and respect for different beliefs or faith systems is important. Parents have the right to withdraw their children from part or all of Collective Worship, but on the rare occasions when parents are unsure, we are very happy to meet and discuss our approach.

Each half term we have a specific theme for our collective worships. We are currently following Cycle one.

View our 4 year cycle