Our Vision and Values

Vision

Our school vision is: ‘Learning for Life’ where everyone learns, is inspired, flourishes, and enjoys life in all its fullness; in a community of love, respect, hope, forgiveness, courage and thankfulness.

Our vision is inspired by Jesus’ words from John 10:10, ‘I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.’ We believe that school should be a celebration of life; this precious gift that we have been given. ‘Learning for life’ means learning that takes us into the most fulfilling life possible; the awe and wonder of learning about this incredible world, and the development of the character, knowledge, skills and understanding that will enable us all to continue to learn and to grow beyond our school. This is summarised in our four key vision words:  Learn – Inspire – Flourish – Enjoy.

Our mission is to serve the local community – families of all faiths and those with no faith at all – by providing an outstanding education.

Our policies, procedures and development plans are intended to achieve this mission and to fulfil our vision. Our current development priorities focus on taking the school from ‘good’ to ‘outstanding’ – it is by doing this that we will maximise ‘life in abundance’ so that everyone flourishes.

At the heart of everything we do, our vision is for:

• High standards of teaching and learning, behaviour and attitudes to learning.
• Warm, positive relationships based on mutual respect.
• Passionate, motivated, informed staff who are committed to every pupil achieving their very best.
• A broad and balanced curriculum, for the whole child, built on the best that has been thought and said, producing rounded individuals able to flourish and to live life to the full.
• Partnership with families.

A vision of excellence for all - Teach to the top

• Growth Mindset – intelligence and ability are not fixed
• Teach to the top – teaching at the highest level that gives every pupil the opportunity to experience the most challenging work
• Challenge and choice – offering learning without limits or labels to all pupils
• An Ethic of Excellence – drafting and re-drafting to create our very best work
• Formative assessment – effective planning and feedback to maximise learning.

A vision of warm, positive relationships based on mutual respect - You establish what you establish

• Pivotal – we follow the Pivotal approach to positive behaviour management
• Values – love, respect, forgiveness, courage, hope
• Anti-bullying – accepting differences and being kind, tolerant and inclusive.

A vision of passionate, motivated, informed staff - Research based practice

• Trust - We need to trust each other to do an exceptional job
• Agency - We need to take responsibility for the means to excel and to seek the best CPD
• Leadership – progression, responsibility, and growing future leaders
• Research - Professional learning which leads to improved practice.

A vision of a broad and balanced curriculum - Powerful Knowledge

• Creative – Wow! Student led. Questioning. Celebrating.
• Knowledge based – ‘the best that has been thought and said’ and the importance of ‘cultural capital’.
• Broad – Science, Art, Music, Sport, PE, Dance, Drama, Computing, Geography, History, MFL, RE.
• Teaching the whole child, and producing rounded individuals – Spiritual, Moral, Social, Cultural.

Values

Our values are Christian values. Our vision and values work together to create a distinctive church school ethos which is summarised in our key Bible verse: 'Life in abundance' John 10:10

Our values are:

Love

Love one another. Just as I have loved you. John 13:34

Respect

Treat others as you would like them to treat you. Luke 6:31

Hope

This hope is like an anchor for us. It is strong and sure and keeps us safe. Hebrews 6:19

Forgiveness

Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37

Courage

Be strong, take courage, because God is with you. He will not let you down. He will not leave you.

Deuteronomy 31:6