Ethos and Values - Being a Church school
‘Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.’
Hebrews 10:24
Hall Orchard CE Primary is a proud Church of England Academy. Our Christian family encourages those of all faiths and none to value and celebrate our diversity. We grow together as a community of unique individuals, doing everything in love. We have a clear vision which is communicated effectively through our policies, the school website and the aims of school (which are rooted in Christian values).
Our whole school vision is:
- For our children to be confident, ambitious learners who demonstrate the personal values and skills necessary to make a positive contribution to the global community.
- To be an excellent school where all children achieve their best.
This is summed up by the following Bible verse: ‘Let us be concerned for one another, to help one another to show love and to do good.’ from Hebrews 10:24. Our vision is perfectly illustrated through the story of the Good Samaritan and is referenced in our acts of Collective Worship regularly.
Relationships within the school community are characterised by Christian care and love for each other, through a focus on our core values. Our Ethos embodies British Values which are reflected in our day-to-day practice. At Hall Orchard, we believe in 'living our values'. Our core values incorporate the 15 Christian Values and are as follows:
- Community - Creation, Koinonia, Peace, Service
- Friendship - Compassion, Forgiveness, Justice, Thankfulness, Trust
- Respect - Humility, Justice, Reverence
- Resilience - Endurance, Wisdom
- Aspiration – Hope
Our beliefs and values are engrained within everything we do. They drive the direction of our school and are at the heart of what we do to improve educational outcomes for all our children.
Opportunities are provided for moments of personal reflection within assemblies and displays in classrooms encourage interaction and reflection. Each class adds to their Reflection Book each week - this can be in the form of thoughts, prayers, pictures or stories. Each class is unique and therefore each book reflects not only our school values and beliefs but celebrates the diversity of our school community too. Children in KS2 visit places of worship of other faiths following the programme for the teaching of RE. There are very good systems in place for rewards and achievements are celebrated regularly.
Being a Church of England Academy, strong links are maintained between the village church and school. Holy Trinity Church is one of four Church of England churches in the heart of the Soar valley and the Leicestershire Wolds, and the Priest in Charge is a Foundation Governor of the school. A member of the church currently leads one act of Collective Worship in school every third week, alongside clergy and preachers from the Baptist and Methodist churches in the village. Classes also visit the church as part of their learning, and take great delight in helping to decorate the church around each major festival.
Pupil’s written work and artwork is displayed in the church on a regular basis. The school also participates in the church’s annual Christmas Tree Festival trees. Members of the PCC from our church (Holy Trinity) are invited to attend acts of Collective Worship and conduct learning walks. A school notice board is on display in the church, further forging the link between us.
The school has partnership links with other local CoE schools, providing opportunities for collaboration, school visits and joint project work.
Our school is a caring family where everyone is valued and encouraged to achieve their potential as well as to have respect for God and His world.
Spiritual Council
We have a designated Spiritual Council (made up of children from Year 3-6) who contribute to the spiritual life of the school. They achieve this through the following activities:
- Planning and delivering Acts of Collective Worship
- Co-ordinating charity appeals
- Writing school prayers
- Creating special religious artwork pieces
- Community outreach projects
- Church Links