Theological Vision
St John’s Church of England Primary School
Theological Rationale
I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness.
John 10:10
Our vision is to nurture and inspire our whole school community, to use their God-given gifts, to be the best that they can be, and therefore flourish in all aspects of their lives. This is expressed through our school motto: ‘Be the BEST we can be’ which runs through everything we do in school. In order to be the BEST we can be, we all:
Believe
Endeavour
Succeed
Together
These four school values are understood in a distinctive Christian way.
Our vision is that children will develop these values and appreciate the importance they hold so that they will form and mould their character, allowing them to flourish in school and life.
We affirm the Church of England’s vision that such character education is central to a Christian vision for education for ‘life in all its fullness’.
Believe
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)
At St John’s we want children to have a mindset of faith and believe beyond current challenges, obstacles and restrictions. We have high expectations of all children and we teach them to approach each new day and each challenge with confidence, having a sense of belief in themselves and others.
Our school also seeks to ensure children have a vibrant faith experience through encounter with the Christian faith. While recognising that their faith choices and journey remain theirs to navigate, “We want pupils to leave school with a rich experience and understanding of Christianity, and we are committed to offering them an encounter with Jesus Christ and with Christian faith and practice in a way which enhances their lives.” [1]
Endeavour
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart (Colossians 3:23)
We teach children that they must endeavour in all aspects of school life, including in their lessons and in their daily lives. Children understand that making mistakes is how they learn; when a task is challenging we encourage perseverance. “In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.
This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”[2]
For our children we seek to translate this faith into an outlook in life that reflects the Church of England Vision that, even in setbacks and difficulties: “There is hope in God and God’s wisdom, and in the possibilities of reconciliation and transformation. The many ways in which human beings and our communities go wrong is cause for lament, but not for despair.”[3]
Succeed
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed (Proverbs 16:3)
We recognise that success comes in many different forms. At St John’s we have high academic standards for all of our pupils and we take pride in these achievements. However, the journey towards achieving success is just as important as the outcome. As such we reward children for making good progress from their starting points. As a school community we realise that success looks different for individual children.
Successes are celebrated in our weekly Achievement Assemblies, where children are presented with certificates for the things they have done well. Additionally, Class Captains are nominated each week. These children embody the school values and serve as outstanding role models to their peers.
Children learn that to succeed in school leads to stepping out into a successful life. In Christian terms, courageous stepping out is a response to the belief God is there in the space into which we step: you can step there because God is with you.[4]
We recognize that our children need courage in life, and that its formation can happen in the classroom. We encourage children having the courage to speak up, to ask questions and to seek help.
The place of courage in education comes from a belief we are encouraging children to step out, supporting them as they do so. In this respect our school enacts the Church of England’s Vision for Education: “There is confidence that the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge and skills is consistent with how God has shaped the world and ourselves.”
Courage will be different for each child and we are sensitive to the particular obstacles that will draw out the courage in different individuals.
We also affirm the place of courageous advocacy – of knowing when and how to stand up for something whether that is for you or others.
Together
Encourage one another and build each other up (Thessalonians 5:11)
Togetherness underpins the whole of our school ethos. Children learn that success is more likely when they work, learn, play and worship together. The children at St John’s are all known as individuals and this helps them develop a sense of community and belonging. We teach them to respect themselves, each other and our school. They support and encourage one another in their work and at times when tasks are challenging.
Through our school ethos, curriculum teaching and collective worship the children learn about equality, tolerance, kindness and respect.
This part of our vision is exemplified to the children through the way the staff work together as a team, how partnerships are nurtured between home and school.
[1] Church of England Vision for Education
[2] Carol S. Dweck ‘Mindset: the new psychology of success’
[3] Church of England Vision for Education
[4] Albert Einstein once said “I think the most important question facing humanity is.. Is the universe a friendly place?”