CHRIST CHURCH CofE
FIRST SCHOOL & NURSERY
Frome, Somerset
What 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:
- Educating for wisdom, knowledge and skills
- Educating for hope and aspiration
- Educating for community and life together
- Educating for respect and dignity
Our six core Christian values
- Kindness
- Courage
- Respect
- Responsibility
- Perseverance
- Forgiveness
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.
Click here to see how our “Golden Rules” are a reminder to adults and children about what our Christian values “look like” when we live them out day by day. Each Golden Rule is based on one of our core Christian values.
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: 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.
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:
- For children, this means identifying and challenging unfairness.
- For adults (parents and school staff) this will involve supporting the children in their courageous advocacy.
- For school leaders and governors this includes taking brave strategic decisions based on what is right and in line with the school’s Christian vision, mission and values, rather than what is easiest or most beneficial for the school in the short term.
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:
- Creating a safe, happy, caring and stimulating learning community where, day-by-day, children and adults live out the school’s core Christian values.
- Encouraging aesthetic, spiritual and moral awareness in a Christian atmosphere.
- Developing within each child a moral compass based on Christian values, allowing every girl and boy to grow in character – able to discern right from wrong and to make good choices, allowing them to flourish and achieve as caring, respectful, tolerant, active citizens, equipped for life in modern Britain.
- Fostering a growth mindset in children and adults alike, so that school life is characterised by a joyful love of learning, an enthusiasm for hard work and the humility, patience and tenacity necessary to try new things and learn from one’s own mistakes and the mistakes of others.
- Instilling an appetite for one’s own progress and success, together with the grace and humility required to respect, celebrate and learn from the successes of others.
- Cultivating the aptitudes, skills and knowledge that will enable every child to achieve their true potential, through praise, encouragement and high expectations of work and behaviour.
- Nurturing curiosity, creativity, ambition and resilience through an inspiring, broad and engaging curriculum which offers a sound grounding in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, together with the independence and confidence to apply these skills.
- Showing the importance of socialising and collaborating with sensitivity, consideration and humour.
- Encouraging children, staff, parents, governors and the community to share in our aspirations.