Vision and Values
Normanton All Saints CE (A) Infant School is a school which is:
- Welcoming and caring
- Encouraging and comforting
- Trusting and understanding
- Challenging yet supportive
- Respectful and tolerant
- Enjoyable and memorable … for all those who step inside!
Normanton All Saints CE (A) Infant School’s Vision
Learners are respectful, caring and tolerant towards others. They value the importance of difference and the need to work collaboratively in the diverse cultural world we live in. They acknowledge their role, rights and responsibilities as a citizen in the local and global community.
Pupils are equipped with the attitudes and skills to become independent thinkers and lifelong learners. They have hopes, dreams and aspirations for the future.
Spirituality is at the heart of the curriculum, which enables learners to express their views, questions, opinions and thoughts and be reflective.
Learners have a love, curiosity and thirst for learning promoted through an exciting and memorable curriculum, which promotes awe and wonder of the world.
The Christian values of hope, respect, thankfulness, perseverance, friendship and forgiveness empower learners to make the correct choices, develop socially and lead by example.
Learners are well supported, valued and cared for to develop confidence, motivation, self-belief and a strong sense of self-worth. They feel happy, safe and secure in the school family.
Aspirations and high expectations are promoted by all and result in excellent outcomes for all learners. Individual achievements, gifts and talents are recognised and celebrated.
Learners are resilient, challenged and are eager to try new things, solve problems and learn from any mistakes.
‘How far is far? How high is high? You’ll never know until you try!’
– Developed by all staff and governors
As a school, we believe that Christian Values help to shape and support our children to fulfil their full potential and empower them to make informed choices, flourish socially and prepare them for becoming a confident, respectful and fulfilled member of society. We believe that our Christian Values highlight how Christ is our role model and that no matter what we go through we will always have hope, thankfulness, forgiveness, friendship, respect and perseverance.
Hope
‘Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
Hebrews 11:1
People hope for lots of things. They may hope for good health; for peace; for food; for love. Where hope is lost sometimes there is misery and anger. ‘Hope generates energy and sustains people through difficult times.’
(Christian Values for Schools)
Thankfulness
‘Give thanks in all circumstances.’
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Thankfulness is very important. People need to say thanks and be grateful for all the wonderful things in our world and appreciate the gifts and talents which we have been given.
Forgiveness
‘Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive everyone who sins against us.’
Luke 11:4
Everyone makes mistakes. It is important that people are compassionate and kind to one another and learn how to forgive. Sometimes people think that all they need to do is say sorry and that everything will be OK. It is key that people learn from their mistakes.
Friendship
‘If one falls down, a friend can lift him up’
Ecclesiastes 4:10
‘Trust, feeling comfortable in each other’s company, being able to share joys and sorrows are all features of friendship and these are things of immense value. True friendship enables each person to grow and ensures that the unique individuality of each person is recognised.’ (Christian Values for Schools)
Respect
‘Be devoted to one another. Honour one another above yourselves.’
Romans 12:10
People need to respect each other, respect the world they live in and also respect themselves. It is important that they treat others the same way they would like to be treated.
Perseverance
‘Let us not grow weary of doing good … do not give up.’
Galatians 6:9
Perseverance is possible where there is hope and hope is based on love and faith. It is important to work towards your goal and not give up even when situations are difficult and challenging. Others can offer help, support and guidance.
Children are at the heart of all we do and deserve our very best. We recognise the importance of celebrating our uniqueness and the need to work collaboratively in the diverse cultural world that we live in. It is our hope that all children will be respectful, caring and tolerant towards others, our world and themselves. We seek to empower and equip children to believe that they can achieve anything and have hopes and aspirations for the future. It is our aim to be inspirational role models and that our children develop a love of learning and flourish in all that they do.
Respect
‘Be devoted to one another. Honour one another above yourselves.’
Romans 12:10
‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’
John 13:34-35
God created everyone and formed us in his own image. We are all special and unique. We need to respect each other, respect the world we live in and respect ourselves. It is important that we treat others the same way that we would like to be treated. We each form a thread of the rich tapestry of life and need to value the differences that create the bigger picture.
Empower
‘You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.’
1 John 4:4
‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’
Phillippians 4:13
We strongly believe that our children are capable of all things and we aim to empower them to be the best that they can be and to reach their full potential. We seek to inspire a love of learning and act as role models who shine the light of Christ. Jesus empowered his disciples through the way he lived and the love and respect he showed to everyone. God can empower each and every one of us to become more like Jesus.
Grow
‘Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.’
Matthew 13:8
Our aim is to ensure that each child can grow and flourish during their time at Normanton All Saints. Children are at the heart of all we do and we celebrate their individual gifts and talents. We will support our children to build firm foundations which are rooted in Christ. As a school, we hope to nurture the potential of every member in our school family.
We are proud of our close links with Normanton All Saints Parish Church and the local community.
These links strongly support our teaching of Christian values and beliefs.
We use the Church as a teaching and learning resource and regularly visit to explore various aspects of Christian life.
Throughout the academic year we celebrate Christian festivals such as Harvest, Christmas, Easter and Mothering Sunday.
Through our engaging, hands on curriculum we also provide opportunities for our learners to experience mock weddings and baptisms.
Find our more about All Saints Church »
Collective Worship
Revd Murray and Revd Phill, alongside other members of our Church, regularly come into school to lead Collective Worship.
They work closely alongside the Collective Worship team to plan and deliver worship linked to our Christian Values, current themes and issues and also the Church’s liturgical calendar. Collective Worship also regularly takes place in our Church.
Each year we celebrate All Saints’ Day with a special service held in All Saints’ Church. Members of our Church come into school to support by listening to children read and to join in with events such as our Christingle making workshop.
All Saints’ brass band perform at our annual Christingle worship for pupils, staff and families.
All Saints Choir
Our All Saints’ Choir regularly perform and take part in Church and local community events.
Each year they perform at the joint schools’ carol concert and they visit the local care home and the Church to sing a range of Christmas songs and carols to members of the local community.
They also record a song for the local talking newspaper for those members of the community who are visually impaired. They have also been invited to perform at the Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations which took place in All Saints’ Church.
Choir members take great pride in learning and performing a range of songs and hymns and they also enjoy learning how to play different musical instruments.
Hand to Mouth
To further enhance our RE curriculum and Collective Worship we provide our pupils with many interactive and engaging opportunities by inviting visitors into our school.
Hand to Mouth are a small Christian charity. They use ‘Godly Play’, ‘The Amazing Journey’ and ‘Exploring Christianity through the arts’ to retell stories from the Bible and to explore Christian values and teachings.
Hand to Mouth visit our school each term. Members of our Church also come into school to work with the children. Our ‘Moving On Journey’ is an excellent tool to help support our Year 2 pupils in their transition to their next school.
Links with the local community
We highly value the strong links we have with our local community. We support local community projects such as The Well Project through our bring a tin to school event.
As part of our Harvest festival we deliver food parcels to our local neighbours and members of our Church, which are always greatly appreciated.
We also support and take part in events run by Normanton Town Council such as the scarecrow competition, the Easter colouring competition and the Christmas market stall.
Our Church fully support and are highly involved in our local community work.
“Messy Church” Days
Our Early Years Foundation Stage plan and organise ‘Messy Church’ themed days to support their teaching of Christian celebrations and key events, such as Christmas, Easter, Lent, Harvest.
Art and craft, music and drama activities provide a creative way to help our young children explore key messages from the Bible.
These days are supported by members of the Church who help lead small group activities.
Prayer Group
Each half term we lead a lunchtime prayer group in school, alongside Revd Murray. Families, pupils, staff and members of our Church are invited to come along if they wish to.
This is a special time when we can gather to reflect, be peaceful and to pray together.
The DfE have recently reinforced the need-
“to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”
The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values were reiterated by the Government in 2014.
At Normanton All Saints CE (A) Infant School, British Values and our Christian Values are embedded in everyday school life and are regularly promoted through high quality teaching, a broad and balanced curriculum, Collective Worship and a positive behaviour policy. Fundamental British Values are also promoted through our Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development of pupils, our application of Philosophy for Children principles and during our RHE and RE lessons. Pupils are provided with opportunities to develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in modern Britain.
Democracy
Our school behaviour policy is clear that children are expected to contribute and co-operate, taking into account the views of others. This policy clearly includes the need for rewards and sanctions.
Pupils have the opportunity to have their voices heard through different groups within the school, which include the School Council, Collective Worship, Playground Buddies, Woodland Watch and Sports Council. These groups meet regularly to discuss issues, put forward their ideas and opinions and participate in decision making for the school.
The School Council consists of two members from each class who are nominated and voted for. They are involved in the organisation of the Christmas Market Stall in order to raise money to support our link school in Buhema, Tanzania. The School Council also visit Normanton Town Council where they take part in mock council meetings to voice their ideas for the local community. They have been involved in local projects such as little picking and bulb planting, alongside organisations such as WDH.
Our Collective Worship Committee play an important role in the planning, delivery and evaluation of Collective Worship. They lead the lunchtime prayer group, which includes members of the church and the community.
Rule of Law
Pupils are continually taught to recognise the difference between right and wrong and the importance of applying this in their daily lives. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service are a regular part of our curriculum events and help reinforce this message.
We have a behaviour policy, which reflects the rights of a child. We consistently reinforce our high expectations of all children. Children are taught the value and reasons behind our rights and responsibilities (our rules). They know that these rights are here to protect us, that everyone has a responsibility and that there are consequences when rules are broken.
The three rights (our rules) are:
- Everybody has the right to feel and be safe.
- Everybody has the right to learn.
- Everybody has the right to be treated with respect.
It is everybody’s responsibility to keep these rights.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment to enable them to do this. Through our RHE curriculum we discuss different choices that the children can make and we encourage them to make the right choices. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on their choices and are taught about the effect that this has on both their peers and adults. They are given opportunities to resolve conflicts effectively and fairly. Through e-safety we teach the importance of keeping safe when using technology. Visitors, such as the Police, and assemblies, such as the NSPCC Pants Campaign, talk about the importance of safety and how important it is to protect people from harm.
Mutual respect
Our whole school ethos is built around the Christian Values of Friendship, Perseverance, Respect, Thankfulness, Forgiveness and Hope. We believe that respect for others is a vital component of moral development. We are an inclusive school where everyone is highly valued and respected. Adults act as positive role models and they demonstrate and promote respect for others. Staff help children to understand how to respect each other by talking about how actions and words can impact on the feelings of others. We value the teaching ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:39).
We encourage open discussions in all areas but particularly in lessons which promote citizenship such as RHE and through circle time. Pupils are encouraged to discuss and debate global and local issues. Our global partnerships have provided opportunities for pupils to appreciate similarity and difference and to build relationship between children in different parts of the world. We have strong links with the local community and pupils take part in events such as Harvest festival deliveries, carol concerts at the local care home and a Christmas ‘lost sheep’ hunt around the local businesses and shops.
Tolerance of those of different Faiths and Beliefs
Through our teaching we help pupils to understand, accept, respect and celebrate diversity. Our reflection areas, including our Spiritual Gardens, provide opportunities for pupils to be still, reflect, think and ask and answer their own questions.
Pupils are provided with opportunities, through our RHE, RE curriculum and our local and global links, to learn from each other by sharing and celebrating different faiths, cultures and beliefs. Our curriculum incorporates teaching and learning opportunities for pupils to explore aspects of the wider world and develop an appreciation of cultural diversity. We celebrate a range of different festivals within the school such as Chinese New Year, Divali, Hanukah and Christmas.
Members of different faiths or religions are invited into the school to share their knowledge to enhance learning. Visits to places of worship, such as different Churches and the Synagogue, also take place across each year group and provide valuable first hand experiences. We have a very close relationship with our church and members of the church lead Collective Worship and participate in school events.
