Treeton Church of England Primary School

 Theological rationale

Let your light shine (Matthew 5:16)

Our vision is to nurture and inspire our whole school community, to use their God-given gifts, to be the best that they can be, so that they can let their light shine to the world.

To do this we seek to inspire our children to:

• have courage
• have respect
• have faith

These three ‘haves’ are understood in a distinctive Christian way.

Our vision is that children will ‘have’ these virtues – that they will form and mould  the character of our children and become the way in which they flourish in school and life. We affirm the Church of England’s vision that such character education is “central to a Christian vision for education for ‘life in all its fullness’ and is concerned with developing virtues seeing them as ‘character in action’, grown through experience and demonstrated over time in word and deed.”[1]

We recognise the “fundamental interdependence of character education and academic excellence for developing and celebrating human flourishing.”[2]

Courage

“Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. “ (1 Corinthians 16:13).

In Christian terms, courageous stepping out is a response to the belief God is there I the space into which we step: you can step there because God is with you.[3]

We recognize that our children need courage in life, and that it’s formation can happen in the classroom. We encourage children having the courage to speak up, to ask questions and to seek help.

The place of courage in education comes from a belief we are encouraging children to step out, supporting them as they do so. In this respect our school enacts the Church of England’s Vision for Education: “There is confidence that the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge and skills is consistent with how God has shaped the world and ourselves.”

Courage will be different for each child and we are sensitive to the particular obstacles that will draw out the courage in different individuals.

We also affirm the place of courageous advocacy – of knowing when and how to stand up for something whether that is for you or others.

Such a fostering of courage reflects the Church of England’s Vision that: “Good schools foster confidence, delight and discipline in seeking wisdom, knowledge, truth, understanding, know-how, and the skills needed to shape life well.”

Isaiah says of the people of God, “Each one helps the other, saying to one another, "Take courage!” (Isaiah 41:6) At Treeton, we do that.

We place great store on encouragement. Paul calls his readers to “encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.”[4]  

When we encourage we put courage in. At Treeton, we do that, too.

Respect

As a school we aim to be a place where our children can grow and be nurtured to be the best they can be – to be ‘like trees that grow beside a stream, that bear fruit at the right time, and whose leaves do not dry up. They succeed in everything they do.” (Psalm 1:3).

This nurture and growth is inspired by the Church England Vision, which reminds us:

“The ultimate worth of each person is grounded in being created in the image of God and in God’s love and compassion for each.”

We therefore base our education on respect for the child and the formation of respect between one another. This includes a wholehearted commitment to  diversity and equality, offering an inclusive education.

In school this involves encouraging children to treat one another as they would wish to be respected, following the teaching of Jesus to: “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12).

Treeton school embodies the example of Jesus, and “Jesus embodies the love and compassion of God for each person, and Christians are called to follow him in this, and to join with others in demonstrating it. He paid special attention to the disadvantaged, excluded, despised and feared. The ultimate worth of each person is shown in the Gospels through his teaching, healing, feeding, sharing hospitality, befriending, and forgiving.”[5]

Faith 

“To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Hebrews 11:1).

At Treeton school we want children to have a mindset of faith and believe beyond current challenges, obstacles and restrictions, and to have faith in themselves and others. This growth mindset reflects the belief that “becoming is better than being.”

““In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.

This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.”[6] 

For our children we seek to translate this faith into an outlook in life that reflects the Church of England Vision that, even in setbacks and difficulties: “There is hope in God and God’s wisdom, and in the possibilities of reconciliation and transformation. The many ways in which human beings and our communities go wrong is cause for lament, but not for despair.”[7]

Our school also seeks to ensure children have a vibrant faith experience through encounter with the Christian faith. While recognising that their faith choices and journey remain theirs to navigate, “We want pupils to leave school with a rich experience and understanding of Christianity, and we are committed to offering them an encounter with Jesus Christ and with Christian faith and practice in a way which enhances their lives.”[8]