Christian Vision
Wath C of E School - Our Christian Vision
In Matthew 5:16, as he sets out a vision of life for his friends, Jesus calls them to “Let your light shine.”
In that spirit, we place before our children the motto: “Aim Higher, Shine Brighter.”
As a Church school we aim to develop all Christian virtues especially those of love, hope, peace, forgiveness and joy – values that run through our culture as a community. Education at Wath is anchored in a vision of children being and becoming brave, positive, inclusive and resilient.
Brave
At Wath C of E we are inspired by the bravery of our former pupil, Kevin Smith, and we encourage children towards a bravery that takes confident steps forward in life. We encourage brave steps forward by creating an environment where children aspire towards their own flourishing, making every effort to achieve success, whilst also aspiring for even greater accomplishments in the future. As such, we share the Church of England’s highlighting of confidence in pursuit of wisdom when it states: “There is confidence that the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge and skills is consistent with how God has shaped the world and ourselves.”[1]
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Bravery involves the sort of hope depicted throughout the Bible, in which the people of God are encouraged forward in their journey, confident that they step into a place God has prepared for them, with encouragements like the one to Moses, as he led the people of God: “The LORD will lead you and be with you. God will not fail you or abandon you, so do not lose courage be afraid” (Deuteronomy 31:8).
[1] Church of England Vision for Education
Positivity
We are a positive place, with fullness of life. Reflecting John 10:10b, and Jesus offer of “Life in all its fullness,” we embody the Church of England’s vision that: “Schools are signs of fullness of life for all, as they educate children for wisdom, knowledge and skills, for hope and aspiration, for community and living well together, and for dignity and respect.”[1] The positive relationships formed by staff and children are key to this culture.
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In the letter to the Romans, Paul calls on his readers saying: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2). At Wath C of E we create a positive environment where children believe success is achievable for everyone and all learners can aspire to excellence.
Wath C of E school instils a growth mindset in its learners by teaching positive attitudes and strategies.
[1] Church of England Vision for Education
Inclusive
The direction to show love towards one another is at the heart of the Christian faith (John13:34) and in the Gospels Jesus offers a vision of life as part of the family of a God who is fully inclusive in loving.
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At Wath we translate this into our life as an inclusive community, in accordance with the Church of England Vision that:
“Living before God and living with and for others go together in Jesus. He embodies the centrality of relationships in love, compassion, generosity, truth-telling, forgiveness, and gathering a community.”[1]
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This is demonstrated in policy and practice. We are committed to providing an environment which values and includes all pupils, staff, parents and visitors regardless of their education, physical, sensory, social, spiritual, emotional and cultural need, and to challenging negative attitudes about disability and accessibility and to developing a culture of awareness, tolerance and inclusion.
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For us, this is a covenant we make as a school with our community, acknowledging that: “The community of his followers is bound together in a covenant that commits us to love God and be good neighbours to all.”[2]
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As educators, we see this as an essential part of our calling, as described in the Church of England’s Vision: “to be a hospitable community that seeks to embody an ethos of living well together.”[3] Every effort is made by all the staff to create a cheerful atmosphere where each child is shown respect, allowing them to develop as unique learners and people. We want all our children to feel happy and secure in school, with the prayer: May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace (Romans 15:16)
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Children and staff at Wath C of E are encouraged to treat each other with kindness, compassion and respect and to be forgiving towards others, remembering to “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32)
[1] Church of England Vision for Education
[2] Church of England Vision for Education
[3] Church of England Vision for Education.
Resilient
Jesus taught that the road to life can sometimes be the narrower and tougher path (“the gate to life is narrow and the way that leads to it is hard, and there are few people who find it” Matthew 7:14). He also depicted the lasting work of the wise builder who undertook the harder task (Matthew 7:24-27).
Want children to face challenge, anchored by a spirit of faith and hope – “a hope that is an anchor for the soul” (Heb 6:19).
Wath C of E teaches the need to develop resilience, with hopeful and faithful expectation, in which children develop a positive outlook towards all learning challenges on their journey towards reaching their potential as learners and as people with a focus on exceptional effort being what we should all expect of ourselves. Through celebratory activities the school champions the positive benefits of good challenge. The school develops a ‘can do’ attitude, positively addressing the approach children can adopt if they become ‘stuck’ in their learning.
The summary of our Christian Vision is below.
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Our Christian vision is for all to:
Let your light shine!
Have the opportunity to shine your light and show what you are capable of.
“Let your light shine”. John 5:16
Live life to the full!
Find joy in life and enjoy the challenges and opportunities that life can bring.
Jesus said “I have come that you may have life and have it to the full”. John 10:10
Be strong and courageous, remembering that God is with you always!
Face challenges and opportunities with courage, positivity and bravery!
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”. Joshua 1:8-9
Be kind and compassionate, forgiving others!
Be inclusive, respectful and accepting of others, with a willingness to forgive.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you”. Ephesians 4:32