In the recent SIAMS report the inspector made the following comments about school which we are very proud to say about our school:

'The recently reviewed and renewed Christian vision permeates this warm and engaging rural village school.'

'Pupils understand the importance of teaching others about how Christian's worship and undertake these responsibilities with joy, sincerity, and confidence. The team articulate how worship leads them into action. They are committed to making a difference in their school, their local area and to the wider global society.'

'The vision drives a commitment to ensuring positive mental health for all. Innovations such as the peace room support wellbeing for pupils and adults which leads to flourishing.'

'The dedicated and skilled headteacher knows the school well and works alongside the governing body to secure Church school development. Consequently, pupils and adults grow and thrive as a result of the thoughtful and life-giving decisions and action of leaders.'

'Leaders constantly review the curriculum and consider how it leads to pupil progress and flourishing. Consequently, the wider curriculum makes a considerable impact on pupils’ character development.'

'The innovative creation of the peace room results in a beautiful, calm and reflective space. This sanctuary, at the heart of the school, meets the needs of vulnerable pupils and enhances support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a place where barriers to learning are overcome. This is a space where pupils and adults can reset their thinking and regain their peace. As a result, many pupils are equipped to access learning in a positive frame of mind. This leads to flourishing mental health and academic progress.'

'Pupils with SEND are well supported and as a result most pupils make good progress.'

Revisit of the Christian Vision for our school:

Where a love of learning grows

A strong sense of Christian purpose for our school community is now being refreshed and renewed.

Three sentences were drawn from this to create a mission statement strapline. This encapsulates the wider vision making it easily accessible for all:

Growing in knowledge

Growing in faith

Growing in God’s love

It is of the utmost importance to the school community knowing that in all that we do we have our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ is

beside us at all times to support and guide us.

The vision grew from a verse from Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

‘I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength’

(Philippians 4 v 13)

This Christian vision is rooted in the desire to nurture all within the school community, flourishing both now and in the future. Before commencing on re-visioning all staff and governors along with the new Headteacher reflected on how to move forwards. This included reading key current documents to inform the vision and meeting to discuss the Vision at the Vision and values meeting half termly. These included :

· Church of England Vision for Education: Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good

· New SIAMS inspection Framework

· Valuing All God’s Children 2

The vision permeates all aspects of school life. The school community is conversant with the different elements ie mission statement, vision and theological roots.

It is embedded across the school through the following ways:

• Action canvas for the Vision in action
• Posters in every room in the school
• Depicted on the Worship table and School vision signed at the beginning of worship
• Part of front page of the school website and as a footer on every email and headed notepaper and compliment slip
• Across the top of the school’s weekly newsletter
• Weekly prayer in newsletter
• Article in Trinity Times
• PHSE lesson time used to explore the vision with children
• Its impact is discussed regularly at staff meetings. It is a standing agenda item for governor meetings and school council meetings and Vision and Values Governor meetings.
• Frequent references to Jesus being with us at all times, underpinned by Christian values, ensure that the whole school community lives the vision.
• Welly Wednesday – Launch by Wednesday Worship – led by Reverend Gary
• Welly Wednesday – to celebrate God’s world

In school we use the Questful RE scheme from the Diocese of Blackburn.

https://questful-re.org.uk/what-is-questful-re/ 

Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education believes that high quality Religious Education (RE) is the key to enabling every child to flourish. We are committed to producing quality resources that will provide teachers with the knowledge and skills they need to ensure that the children experience the best RE curriculum.

This RE syllabus is a revision of ‘Questful RE’ the Blackburn Diocesan Board of Education RE syllabus 2017. Building on the foundation of the 2007, 2013 and 2017 syllabuses we have updated and redesigned the content, bringing it in line with current best practice and pedagogical strategies.

By embracing the explicit teaching of Christian concepts and God’s big salvation story, it is hoped that the content of this syllabus will give pupils a deeper understanding of Christianity. In addition, pupils explore all major world faiths and discuss world views where appropriate.

Whoever we are, wherever we live, whether we are a person of faith or not, we all have a view on the world. Nobody stands nowhere.

https://youtu.be/6NTW2bsFTLY 

This curriculum:

Quality RE has the potential, more than any other subject, to have the most powerful and lasting effect on the child’s heart and mind. It is a subject that combines academic rigour with the development of the character and spirit of the child. RE provides opportunities for spiritual development and personal reflection. On a quest to discover more about religion and world views pupils will discover more about themselves. As RE develops children’s knowledge and understanding of the nature of religion and belief, it provokes challenging questions about meaning and purpose, truth and values, identity and belonging. Pupils will experience, explore and encounter a wide range of creative and challenging multi-sensory activities that will help them to discover the answers to fundamental questions such as these: –

• Who am I and what does it mean to be me?
• In what ways do/can I relate to others?
• How/where can I encounter God?
• How can I make a positive contribution to the world in which I live?
• What values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour are important to me?
• What does it mean to have faith?
• Who/what influences and inspires me?

Through an open investigative enquiry approach the pupils will be given the sense of being on a quest of discovery. A key feature of the syllabus is the large number of questions included in each unit. The purpose of these questions is to give pupils opportunity to investigate, reflect, evaluate and make meaning. In doing so they will discover more about themselves, their relationships with others, their relationship with the world around them and their relationship with God. The questions set the route through the curriculum content.

The curriculum content is a balance of the three essential disciplines of quality RE, Theology, Philosophy and Social Science. This means pupils will look at concepts through a theological lens, exploring what people of faith believe. Alongside this pupils will explore questions and answers raised in relation to the lived reality and impact of religion and world views on people’s lives. They will also think like philosophers, and be equipped with the skills that will enable them to make sense of life’s experiences.

RE prepares children for citizenship in today’s diverse society. It enables them to develop sensitivity to, and respect for others. Through authentic encounters with living faith communities, pupils will develop diversity dexterity and be equipped with the ability to hold an informed conversation about religious beliefs and practices.

Here is a sample of the planning we use in school to support our RE teaching.

https://questful-re.org.uk/unit-1-1-harvest/ 

In school we have 6 Christian values.

These values were revised in 2021-22 and from this revision the values these are the values selected by the children, staff, governors and parents of school. The children in Class 1 and Class 2 created drawings to go with each value. The bible references were selected in consultation with the children, staff, and Vision and values committee as well as rev Gary from church. Click on the power point to see the pictures the children created alongside the Christian values. This power point is displayed in school in the hall, during Worship and in the classrooms. 

Courage

1 Corinthians 16: 13

Stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong

Friendship

Ecclesiastes 4: 9 – 12

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help

Generosity

Timothy 6: 19

Be rich in good deeds, and to be generous

Perseverance

Romans 5: 4

Endurance produces character, and character produces hope

Respect

Mark 12:31

Love your neighbour as yourself

Trust

Psalm 56: 3

In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.