Vision and Values
Christian Vision and Values
Our school vision
SOARING WITH COMPASSION
Our vision is strongly rooted in the biblical verse from St Paul’s letter to Philippians 2: 1-4
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Beechcroft St Paul’s Primary School has a strong Christian ethos. Our children are welcomed into a Christian community, where we live out our vision: ‘Soaring with Compassion’ through the Christian values which support it: hope, respect and wisdom. We have rooted this vision in the letter by St Paul to the Philippians. Our Christian values empower us as a school community and are embedded in everything we do. Our vision compels us to create a welcoming, inclusive and aspirational community in which all our children can flourish, nurturing their talents and developing their skills. We understand that as a school community, we will only be successful if we support each other and use our skills and talents to help others soar.
All children, staff and governors were involved in developing our Christian vision and values over the past academic year. Our values support our Christian vision and underpin everything we do, from our development of school policies and how we interact with each other as a community. We celebrate and develop our Christian values during our daily worship and make natural links to them in all areas of our curriculum. Most importantly, we have an established culture and we expect all members of our school community live them out in everything they do.
Hope
Hebrews 6:19
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure
Hope is a natural human trait that helps us to endure difficult times, both personally and in the wider world. It exists in different layers: through the children’s courageous advocacy where they seek to improve the world around them and in a deep rooted belief that God is always there. Our Collective Worship Crew define hope as: “Not only something good we desire for the future, but something we expect to happen because we trust in God.” At Beechcroft St Paul’s, we see hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19 ) that will help us to navigate life’s darker times based on the understanding that good has come before and can therefore happen again; it is a powerful force that generates energy and sustains people in difficult times. Sometimes, it can be hard to be hopeful, to see the possibility of a better outcome or situation when life is challenging. Our vision compels us to support our children and community to develop their strength of character during such times and to stand alongside them, enabling them to be hopeful and to dig deep when they need, in a caring and supportive environment.
Respect
St Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:14
Love your neighbour as yourself.
At Beechcroft St Paul’s, respect is a fundamental value that is interwoven through everything we do. Our staff model calm, meaningful and respectful relationships, enabling the children to learn from positive role models who live out the value embodied in the quote: Love your neighbour as yourself. (St Paul’s letter to the Galatians 5:14) We seek to build children's self worth so that they may love themselves and therefore love others too. This enables our children to flourish in a safe and nurturing environment, with calm and positive relationships and attitudes shown throughout the school. We aim to give our children the skills needed to navigate positive relationships as they mature and therefore use a restorative approach to solve friendship issues and occasions where harm has been done. We value the opinions of our children, using children as leaders (for example as Student Council Representatives, House Captains, Collective Worship Crew and Sports Leaders) to give children a voice that is respected and acted upon.
Wisdom
1 Kings 4:29
God gave Solomon wisdom and very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore.
At Beechcroft St Paul’s, we value the acquisition of knowledge and provide a rich and varied curriculum that enables children to develop a broad understanding of the world. This is vital because wisdom is more than being clever; it is a very great insight, and a breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore. (1 Kings 4:29) Wisdom is a blend of knowledge, experience and good judgement. A wise person will have a real understanding of the consequences of their thoughts and actions. We actively seek to develop children’s ability to make wise decisions based on true understanding through our use of an enquiry based curriculum, where we give children opportunities to ask and respond to the big question life has to offer, as well as the opportunity to reflect deeply in Collective Worship and RE lessons. We nurture children to be compassionate towards others through our use of restorative practice and help them to understand what is truly important.