Christian Vision
Our school vision statement is: "The roots to grow, the wings to fly." We work tirelessly to enable every child to reach their potential whatever their stage. In our school you see life in all its fullness in a community of hope, dignity and wisdom. The Bible narrative 'The Parable of the Sower' underpins our Christian vision.
This is the Bible story the children are taught at an age appropriate level:
This parable tells the story of a foolish farmer or 'sower', who throws his seeds indiscriminately and yields a poor crop. This parable contains an important common sense lesson, as well as a metaphor for always planting ideas and knowledge in fertile ground.
The parable of the Sower and the Seeds is a metaphor for learning and receiving the word of God. When the sower throws his seeds onto dry ground, among thorns, and onto rocks, they do not grow. It is only when he throws them on good soil that he yields a crop. Many interpret this to mean that knowledge can only be absorbed when it accepted without judgement, worry or ignorance.
Our children are taught to understand that we need all the right conditions for growth; emotional, physical, academic, pastoral and in our Christian faith. We also have a school song, 'The Seeds of Love'. We sing this regularly to understand and embed the story in our minds and hearts.
The Christian ethos underpins those formative years in primary school when a child acquires skills, knowledge, interests and attitudes of mind that will have so much influence on his or her future life.
With this in mind, the aims of our School which support our vision are:
- To provide a secure Christian environment in which consideration and respect for self and others, including the wider community, can be fostered
- To encourage and support each child to achieve the highest standards of which he or she is capable in all areas of academic and personal development
- To foster a positive and responsible attitude in children towards their environment.
Generations of local children have been educated here and the school has responded, with common sense and innovation, to many educational changes during its history. We shall endeavour to meet the challenge of the future in a similar positive manner. In July 2012, the Deputy Director of the Diocese wrote to the school to congratulate us on our Church School inspection which was deemed outstanding in every area. She wrote: "...In passing your report to me our SIAS manager commented that your school is a 'gem'; there is indeed much that the Diocese can learn from your work and I hope that we have the opportunity in the year ahead to draw on your experience and skills as a school." Again in July 2017 we underwent the revised and more rigorous SIAMS inspection and were awarded outstanding. The Diocese congratulated us saying: "It is very clear that the school's distinctive Christian character has a significant impact on the way children thrive both personally and in terms of high academic achievement." Our school vision sums up our aims perfectly: "the roots to grow, the wings to fly."
The school was judged in four areas:
- How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners?
- What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?
- How effective is the Religious Education? (in VA and academies)
- How effective are the leadership and management of the school as a church school?
St Mary's Primary was judged outstanding in all four areas. You can access the report here...
At St Mary’s we see Collective Worship as an opportunity for the whole school to share in a broadly Christian act of worship. The planning of worship is arranged on a half termly basis with themes reflecting Christian values, community and Rights Respecting Schools' themes, the Christian Year, specific aspects of worship and social/cultural/spiritual and moral issues. The support of the Diocesan Education Centre and St Mary's church is utilised.The participation of children is encouraged and visiting speakers frequently contribute. We value the opportunities presented by working in partnership with the Church.
St Mary’s explicitly teaches Christian Values through the Roots and Shoots programme of work. The topics are introduced by Miss Grunnill in weekly worship and there are follow up activities (Reflections) that may sometimes be completed in class. Through our worship and relationships within the community, we reinforce many Christian values:
24-25 23-24
Autumn: Generosity and Compassion Thankfulness and Trust
Spring: Courage and Foregiveness Perseverance and Justice
Summer: Friendship and Respect Service and Truthfulness
Parents do have the right to withdraw their child from Collective Worship if they wish.
We also enjoy a Spirituality Day every term through which we explore a Bible story and what we, as Christians and non Christians can learn from it. We also plan for opportunities to develop spirituality throughout our curriculum on an ongoing basis.
We encourage the children to reflect upon the big questions. The school has built a spiritual garden some years ago - a place where children can spend time quietly thinking, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The children were involved in designing the garden and it is quite a special place.
Click here to read our school prayer