What do we stand for?
(our vision, maxim, ethos, values and aims)
The Bible quote that underpins our Christian vision
“Let your light shine brightly for all to see. Let people see the good things you do and praise your Father in Heaven. ” (Matthew 5:16)
Our school’s inclusive Christian vision
We want Christ Church to be a shining example of Jesus' love and kindness. We are an inclusive Christian learning community where everyone is welcome and valued, and all are inspired to be the best they can be. We want all children to thrive and flourish in every
way, developing a love of learning, discovering their unique strengths and talents, and growing in character and confidence so that their light shines brightly for all to see.
Our maxim
Children don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
Our ethos
The school, founded by the Parish of Christ Church, will maintain and develop its character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church in parish and diocese. The school will serve the community by providing an education of the highest possible quality whilst upholding Christian belief and practice. It will encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promote Christian values through the experience it offers every child.
As a Church School, we have a responsibility to nurture and encourage an exploration of religious faith. Children are provided with opportunities to reflect on their own life and what is special to them as a stepping stone to learning about faith, religion and spiritualty, and developing mutual respect and tolerance of people with different faiths and beliefs. (Read about our Fundamental British values.)
We will value and develop all members of our school community, providing excellent opportunities for them to reach their full potential in body, mind and spirit. The education we provide at Christ Church is consistent with the “four core elements” of the Church of England’s vision for education:
Our six core Christian values
Christ Church is an inclusive school. These values were selected because they are pertinent to the mission of our school as it serves the local community and wider Frome in a spirit of love and warmth, sensitivity and compassion, ambition and aspiration, hope and peace.
Click here to learn more about our core Christian values.
Our four Golden Rules
Our aims
Our values-based Anglican school nurtures curiosity, creativity, ambition and resilience through an inspiring, broad and engaging curriculum, where learning is at the heart of all that we do. Our children develop a moral compass based on Christian values, which allows them to flourish and achieve as caring, respectful, tolerant, active citizens, equipped for life in modern Britain.
At Christ Church, we are committed to:
Our commitment to equality and inclusion
At Christ Church, we believe that diversity is a strength which should be respected and celebrated by all those who learn, teach and visit here. We promote a positive culture of inclusion, in which all those connected to the school feel proud of their identity and able to participate fully in school life.
We are committed to ensuring equality of education and opportunity for all pupils, staff, parents and carers receiving services from the school, irrespective of race, gender, disability, religion, sexuality or socio-economic background.
As a school, we aim to tackle discrimination by the positive promotion of equality, challenging bullying and stereotypes, and creating an environment which champions respect for all.
(Read the Church of England’s report on inclusion and tackling homophobic bullying: Valuing All God’s Children.)
Being “global neighbours” and “courageous advocates”
We understand that courageous advocacy – as the name suggests – is about both “being brave” and “speaking up”. For Christians, this is part of a millennia-old prophetic tradition, whereby individuals are called by God to speak uncomfortable truths, challenging people to change their ways. In a school context, this will involve home, school and church working together to make bold, brave choices: doing the right thing, rather than the easy thing or the popular thing. It is about generosity not greed, and service not selfishness.
In a nutshell, courageous advocacy means helping children to stand up for what is right by applying their understanding of God, the Bible and Christian teaching/tradition to their own lives and the wider world around them.
We believe courageous advocacy is part of Christ Church’s distinctively Christian DNA, consistent with the aims of both Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development (SMSCD) and Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCE). Courageous advocacy is at the heart of school life, running like a “golden thread” through all that we do.
At Christ Church, we promote responsible citizenship, global neighbourliness and courageous advocacy in the following ways:
We are proud that Christ Church has been certified by the equality charity Stonewall (www.stonewall.org.uk) as a “School Champion” in recognition of our ongoing work to promote dignity, diversity, respect and tolerance.
Prejudice and discrimination are wrong and will not be tolerated.
Please work with us to make sure that everyone feels safe, valued
and welcome at Christ Church C of E First School and Nursery.
Our school's Relationships, Sex and Health Education Policy and our
Anti-Bullying Policy have each received a thumbs up from Stonewall.
Christ Church inclusion case study 1: promoting LGBTQ+ inclusion
Christ Church inclusion case study 2: building international links