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Our Christian Distinctiveness

At Woodstock CE Primary School we provide a happy, nurturing and supportive environment founded on the principles of the Christian faith, helping to develop children’s spiritual growth and moral understanding. All members of our school community are valued and respected, so that everyone can have a positive attitude towards themselves, others and life.

Our school’s Christian character contributes significantly to the academic achievement, personal development and wellbeing of all learners. Although we are a church school, we are inclusive to all members of the community we serve. Our aim is that pupils of all faiths and those without a faith feel safe and happy, secure in the knowledge that their beliefs are respected and valued.

The Christian character is evident in the strong sense of respect existing between staff and pupils, who are proud to be a part of our 'special' school.

As a Church school:

  • We believe each person is made in the image of God. We strive to reflect on the love of God, love of life and love of learning in all that we do.
  • We endeavour to build our school on our core values.
  • Our aim is to foster the intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual development of all our pupils.
  • We believe that children need a caring, consistent environment where they are treated with respect and where their well-being is seen as paramount.

 

 

We believe that each child should leave school with:

  • A sense of moral and spiritual awareness.
  • A sense of wonder and curiosity about the world around them.
  • A love of learning and the desire to achieve high standards.
  • A growing ability to relate to and communicate with other people.
  • A sense of their citizenship of the school and the wider community.

 Collective Worship, Prayer & Reflection 

  • Our daily act of collective worship is an important part of the day when we gather as a school community to reflect, think and pray. It is a time when we think about our school values and promote the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of our children.
  • Children play an active part in collective worship.  Our weekly theme links with the Primary Picture News Collective Worship resources which extend the children's understanding of the world around them. 
  • We have strong links with St Mary Magdalene Church in Woodstock. Our local church team play an active role in the life of the school. They lead collective worship weekly, and we enjoy regular visits from them to support our Religious Education teaching.
  • Prayer forms part of our daily act of collective worship. We recognise that prayers can only have a religious significance for some, but they have potential to give spiritual insights for all.
  • Both adults and children lead prayer at our school.  We also recognise that prayer does not have to be spoken and we often use silence to reflect upon our thoughts and feelings.
  • All classes have a prayer focus area within their classrooms and children have opportunities for reflection time throughout the week.