School Vision, Values and Ethos

‘Inspiring every child to shine in God’s Light’

Matthew 5: 14-15

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Vision:

We look to Jesus who teaches us that we can:

‘be a light’, that we are all unique, all worthy, all capable of growth;
that through finding success at school all children and adults can ‘shine their light’ with pride and confidence;
and that through Christ’s love and guidance we can ‘share God’s light’;

inspiring others so that all in the Fordcombe family flourish and achieve fullness.

Rationale:

At Fordcombe, we believe that the bible passage (from the Sermon on the Mount) helps to explain who we are, who we should aspire to be, and how we should live our lives. The three parts of this passage help us to expand our school motto: ‘Inspiring every child to shine in God’s Light’ and gives purpose and meaning to all that we do.

You are the light of the world

The passage tells us that we should respect each other as a precious child of God. Members of our school will know their value as a unique light to the world. All will be encouraged to learn, grow and be confident in who they are – supported through love, kindness, and perseverance.

Share that light with all; do not hide it away

The passage shows us that we can be proud of what we accomplish, with nurture and the support of others. Through excellence in curriculum, we aim to inspire a passion for learning. Jesus encourages us all to acquire the wisdom, knowledge and skills needed to flourish, to be respectful and honest with ourselves and others, equipping everyone for whatever challenges lie ahead.

Let your light shine

The passage asks us to learn to guide and help others, as Jesus leads us through his teachings and his actions. Through a deep belief in God we can see the benefits of helping and supporting others; the power of forgiveness; being grateful; and blessing others with the hope and light that shines from God. We know that God recognises our good works in whatever form they take.

Many parents hope to find a primary school that will provide their child with care and nurture, where—from the moment they step through the front door—they will be known and valued; a school where the teachers will care for and love their child as they begin their educational journey. We believe this is exactly what Fordcombe Primary School offers. Parents entrust us with their children and in return we commit to ‘Inspiring Every Child to Shine in God's Light’.

The Values we explore and strive to live by are:

"I think the ethos of a Church of England School is quite different. It’s far more nurturing and caring. That’s what we wanted in a school." Parent of child in year 1

Our Christian Values are at the centre of everything we do at Fordcombe Church of England Primary School. Each week we focus on a different Christian Value.

This is done explicitly through our Collective Worship time and also throughout our curriculum. Children have regular opportunities to reflect on each value and to develop an understanding of the Value in action.

Each Friday, in our Celebration Worship, we acknowledge children who have demonstrated these values.

Find out more about our
> Our Christian Values
> Our Church
> Our Curriculum Content and Implementation

The Reverend Lisa Cornell (from St. Peter's Church) regularly leads our worship to help us reinforce our understanding of each value as she shares stories from the Bible and reflects on what they mean for us in our every day life. Children have opportunities to plan, prepare and lead worship for the whole school through the school faith group, the Leading Lights and also as they organise worship at key points in the Christian calendar for the whole school community.

We believe these values empower our pupils to develop their spirituality and guide them in their personal development as effective learners and good citizens.

"My child talks openly about God and enjoys RE and singing etc. I feel the school strikes the right balance of Christian learning, majoring on values and model behaviours, which is lovely. " parent of child in year 3

"I think that the fact that it is a CoE school is part of what goes into making the pastoral element strong. I think with our three, especially as they got older, the fact that the school is "officially" a faith school led them to question the nature of belief and faith in a way they would not have done in a non-faith school, and they have obviously felt comfortable doing so." parent of child in year 6

For more information please view the Christian Values for Schools website at http://www.christianvalues4schools.org.uk/.