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Christian Values and why they are our Christian Values

Peace 

Peace includes ideas of healing and health, wholeness and well-being. It refers to relationships based on truth and righteousness. Peace is founded in goodness, decency, justice and morality. It means harmony and security within a community where people flourish because they are nurtured. 

‘My peace I give you.’ (John 14.27)

‘Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ (Psalm 34:14) 

‘The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.’ (Isaiah 32:17) 

‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.’ (Galatians 5:22-23) 

How do we see this in school? 

We value all our children as we are all created in the image of God. The caring ethos nurtures all in our community adults and children. Relationships are very strong built on trust. Where individuals or the school as a whole is at peace we see good moral choices and a calm, purposeful learning community. We value each other as people and offer strong pastoral care. We ensure that Collective Worship is invitational and everyone finds the time and space supports them to reflect, be still, be inspired and at peace. Peace is referred to in a variety of ways including within ourselves, the community and the wider world.

Trust

Trust lies at the heart of all relationships and is central to a cohesive community, living together in harmony. Trust entails vulnerability, putting yourself in others’ hands. Trust in God is central to faith. Jesus entrusted his on-going work to his disciples. 

‘My God is my strength in whom I trust.’ (Psalm 18:2)

‘I thank Christ Jesus our Lord because he trusted me and gave me this work of serving him. He gives me strength.’ (Timothy 1:1-12)

‘But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8) 

How do we see this value in school? 

In our school hymn we sing, ‘We will trust our God for the future.’ Through Jesus’ example, we trust our pupils to take responsibility for leading, behaving and learning. We invite pupils to undertake leadership roles in school, placing trust in pupils to carry out roles with an age appropriate level of responsibility. When children have difficulties they trust adults to help them and support them. Our Positive Learning and Behaviour Policy is based on children learning to self-regulate their behaviour; using Restorative Practice philosophy we talk about children making choices rather than school rules. In the children’s learning we trust pupils to be independent, to take responsibility for their own learning. By trusting our children and encouraging children to trust adults, we are teaching them to trust others to build a cohesive community. 

We rely on feedback from children and families in relation to Collective Worship. We value this feedback and act on it. Trust and open dialogue with families is well-established, so that where families and children feel they need to withdraw from certain aspects of Collective Worship, this is discussed with the Headteacher and managed seamlessly.

Friendship

Jesus calls us to be friends with everyone. He was criticised for being the ‘friend of sinners’ and eating with those whom society rejected. Jesus tells stories of the heavenly banquet to which all are invited and criticised those who refused to recognise that all are included in this community of friendship. 

‘Encourage one another and build each other up.’ (1 Thessalonians 5.11)

‘If one falls down, a friend can lift him up.’ (Ecclesiastes 4:10) 

‘And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than anyone else. Even the people who don’t know God are nice to their friends.’ (Matthew 5:47) 

How do we see this in school?

Friendship is very important to children who want to have good friends and be a good friend. Adults model good friendly relationships in school. Children are willing to talk to adults. Children are Friendly and Restorative Listeners who listen to other children in the playground to help with any minor disagreements. Through prayer we talk to God as a friend, someone to talk to when we are unhappy or anxious. This is an inclusive school which welcomes children from all backgrounds and circumstances to join our happy school. 

We understand Collective Worship is a time for us all to share the same experience. It helps us understand how relationships can work and how they make us feel. Staff use the themes raised in Collective Worship to support children with their emotional literacy, restorative work and resilience with regards to friendships.

Christian Values Award


Each week during Praise Worship, children from every class are awarded with a Values Award, if they have shown and lived out one of our school values. The children take their awards home and bring them back after the weekend.

Their achievement is also celebrated in the school’s newsletter within the Collective Worship section.

“Christian values promote peace and good will among people in accordance with the purposes of God.”