Our Vision and Values
School Ethos
St Mary and All Saints is a Primary School with a Church of England foundation, and we are proud of the ethos that pervades the school. This can be seen in the value we place on personal relationships, the importance we give to good manners, respect for the opinions and beliefs of others, and celebration of diversity.
Our pupils are expected at all times to do their best and to do themselves, their parents, and their school credit. We keep in very regular contact with parents, and share with them any concerns we may have so that we can work together to ensure children are able to learn and be successful.
This, of course, aligns with both our school Christian values and British values, which we actively promote through our school vision and values, ethos, expectations, curriculum and teaching. As such, we promote tolerance of, and respect for, people of all faiths (or those with no faith), cultures and lifestyles. We prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain by supporting them through our words, actions, and influence, not just within school, but also within the wider community.
Our Vision & Values
St Mary & All Saints is a family orientated, multicultural and multifaith, Church of England primary school serving a richly diverse community. As such its core Christian values are grounded in its beliefs about children and inspired by the Bible. In particular, the school values have been chosen in the context of our chosen bible verse:
Jesus said 'I have come that you may have life in all its fullness' (John 10:10).
At St Mary & All Saints we believe the purpose of education is to nurture and enable every child to flourish so they can be the person they are fully capable of being.
Our vision is to enable each child to reach their full potential, both spiritually and intellectually, within a loving, safe and nurturing environment where they are central to all that we do. We are inclusive and welcoming to those of all backgrounds and faiths; all individuals are respected, supported and nurtured.
Our values of kindness, curiosity and readiness underpin every lesson, every experience and every day in our school.
We want every child to:
- Be kind so they become responsible and caring citizens in their communities
- Be curious so they grow into confident, resilient and independent learners.
- Be ready so they can enjoy and take full advantage of every opportunity in life.
Our vision extends beyond the school gates, where we hope to see our wider community touched by the values lived by everyone in the school. We feel that in walking through life together we can all flourish so everyone can live life in all its fullness.
British Values
We also teach our children about British Values. The government defines these as:
- Democracy
- Rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths
As a school with a church foundation, we value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate these. We have found this approach to be enriching for all parties as it teaches understanding and respect for the differences in our community and the wider world. We actively challenge children, staff, and parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views.
As part of The White Horse Federation, we passionately believe that by working together, the children are able to have a higher quality of education, and that as colleagues, we will also benefit from and reap the rewards of a values-based organisation where no one is left behind.