Our Vision
Learning and growing together in faith, hope and love.
Taken from 1 Corinthians 13
Our Mission Statement
As a school we want to be: “Learning and growing together in faith, hope and love.”
The apostle Paul writes about these three core Christian virtues in his letter to the church at Corinth:
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”
(1 Corinthians 13:13)
These three virtues are not only important in Christian discipleship; they are also really important to us at Christ Church Primary School. They have strong links to our past, as well as acting as a reminder of what is most important to us in the present, and forming a basis for how we want to help the children in our care to learn and grow in the future. They connect to the wider Church of England vision for education through church schools.
Here’s what our vision means to us, and how it links to those wider C of E priorities:
“Learning and growing together…”
This part of our vision statement reminds us that good education requires wisdom, knowledge and skills. It is also a process of growth: a gradual and organic process. Just as importantly, this learning and growth takes place together. At Christ Church Primary School we see ourselves as a family, where every person is cared for and given the opportunity to learn and grow. The staff are also committed to learning and growing, and the governors support this through building a culture of growth and learning at every level of school life.
“…in faith…”
Christ Church Primary School has always been a Church of England school, and has always sought to embody Christian values at the heart of everything that takes place. These values have a particular emphasis on caring for the poorer families in the community, as well as seeking to include those who are disadvantaged. We have strong links to our parish church – Christ Church – and we seek to ensure that everyone is supported in their spiritual development. We also believe it is important to educate children about other religions, and to encourage understanding and positive attitudes towards those from different cultures, backgrounds and beliefs. This is all part of showing dignity and respect.
“…hope…”
We want our children to know that they have been created with so many wonderful gifts and abilities, and that God has a purpose for their lives. We want the children at our school to dream big dreams for themselves and for the world around them. In the context of Newark – which has very low social mobility – we seek to raise awareness of a whole world full of opportunities and new experiences, and we aim to ensure that all children can look to the future with hope and aspiration. We want to work with families to ensure that they share these dreams and work alongside us in equipping the children with the skills and education they need to make them happen. We encourage our children to take responsibility for the world around them, and to act as courageous advocates for those less fortunate than themselves, as well as for wider local and global concerns.
“…and love.”
At the heart of everything we do is love. We want our love for each other to be a reflection of God’s love for every one of us, and we trust that we will teach the students in our care the importance of community and living well together. We want the way we model love and care for one another to be evident to all our students, so they share in our attitudes, motivations and behaviour. We will model forgiveness and reconciliation. We will seek to reach out to the families of our students with an attitude of love and understanding. Whenever difficult decisions need to be made we seek to be motivated by love and care for our students and staff. Our Vision and Collective Worship The three virtues of faith, hope and love are each a focus for the three school terms:
In Autumn we focus on Love, covering topics such as friendship, forgiveness, family, community and charity. This helps us to ensure all students know they are loved and cared for, and it helps us to establish a culture of mutual care and respect across the school.
“Love never fails 1 Corinthians 13:8
In Spring we focus on Faith, covering some of the key stories and events from the life of Jesus. We think about what the Bible teaches us about life and faith, and we think about what we ourselves believe.
Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
In Summer we focus on Hope, as we think about different career choices and opportunities, the ways we can change the world for the better, and the changes that will happen as the school year comes to an end.
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. Psalm 62:5-8
Our Vision and Religious Education
Given our strong Christian roots, and our links with our local parish church – Christ Church – we are keen to ensure that R.E. is much more than just a lesson. However our R.E. lessons offer a greater opportunity to explore the themes of faith, hope and love in more depth as we seek to ensure our pupils are aware of what Christianity teaches as well as understanding and respecting other faiths. We believe that when you teach R.E. With an emphasis on faith, hope and love, you instil a vision for a better world, encourage greater tolerance and empathy, and help pupils to have big dreams for our local community and the wider world.
Christ Church Vision Statement