Our Christian Values
We promote all the gospel values (generosity, courage, compassion, trust, justice, peace, thankfulness, forgiveness, love, friendship, reverence, humility, hope, wisdom) at school, but we have chosen 4 as central to our Christian vision. We focus on 2 "values" for the term.
Respect
Honesty
Perseverance
Service
Faith Group
Our Faith Group, with representatives from Year 1 to Year 6, was established with its main purpose to ensure that the Christian distinctiveness of the school, as a 'Church of England' Primary School, is maintained and enhanced. We meet every half term to discuss worship, their views, and participation.
Bible Lunchtime Club
This runs once a week for KS2 children. They have the opportunity to listen and discuss Bible stories, respond creatively through art and craft activities. This is a popular club where the children have a lot of fun. All children of faith and no faith are welcome to attend.
Collective Worship
We meet regularly as a school to celebrate our faith. We have daily worship, and special assemblies with visitors throughout the year. Worship is led by our vicar, staff and children. Our aim is to provide the opportunity for pupils to: worship God, consider spiritual and moral issues and to explore their own beliefs; participate and respond, whether through active involvement in the presentation of worship or through listening and joining in the worship offered; and develop community spirit, promote a common ethos and shared values, and reinforce positive attitudes.
Reflection Areas
As a school we feel it is important to have a focal and central prayer point for the whole school community to engage with. As it is positioned just off from the main hall, most children can have access to it on a regular basis. Its theme follows our Christian value for the half term.
Each classroom has a Christian Reflection Area, which follows the same Christian value as collective worship to enable the children to deepen their understanding and thoughts behind each Christian message. These areas are a place where the children can come to reflect and pray. They have a Bible and a cross as its focal point and will include other artefacts, pictures and verses to engage the children in thought and prayer.
Classrooms
At St John’s, we believe spirituality is not something we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves. It is about awe and wonder, asking questions, inspiration and being aware of something ‘bigger’ outside of ourselves.
Spirituality concerns a person’s relationship with themselves, with others, with God (or the transcendent), and with nature and the environment. These four elements: self; others; transcendence and beauty form the basis of our work with children in developing a strong sense of spirituality.
Church Services
We attend regular church services at St John the Evangelist to celebrate festivals such as Harvest, Christmas, Easter etc. led by our vicar with all children participating.
