Our vision and values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning, and provide an environment which prepares our pupils as confident, happy citizens.

Our Vision

Learn, achieve, grow: together

Our Ethos

‘Let all that you do be done with love’

(1 Corinthians 16:14-22)

We create a nurturing and aspirational environment, built upon our Christian values of love, friendship, peace, truthfulness, forgiveness, perseverance and thankfulness, which encourages love, kindness, respect, tolerance and motivation.

We provide a holistic, vibrant, imaginative curriculum that encourages a love of and for learning.

We believe every child is unique and special and made in the image of God to flourish and grow.

Leading to:

Our School Aims:

To be the best I can be;

To love to learn and learn to love;

To know I am important to this school and this school is important to me. b

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What does it mean to be a Church of England, Voluntary Aided Primary School?

Our School is designated with a religious character, our School’s religious authority is the Diocese of Salisbury.  Recognising our historic foundation, we will preserve and develop the school's religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the churches at parish and diocesan level.

From the earliest days, the purpose of Church schools was to enable children to flourish by providing a basic education and by developing their moral character. It was always intended that Church schools should be open to all of the children of the parish. Our School aims to support children and their families by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice.  It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.

Church of England schools are not ‘faith schools’ in the sense of presuming that children are practicing Christians or attempting to make converts of them. However, the ethos of the schools is based on distinctively Christian values and they will offer children an experience of faith through collective worship and links with the parish church. Religious Education in Church schools will always include teaching about other faiths.

Church of England schools have Christian beliefs and values at their heart. This means that every child and adult associated with the school is not just important because they are members of the school but also because they are seen as unique individuals within God’s creation.

For more information, please visit: https://www.churchofengland.org/more/education-and-schools and https://www.salisbury.anglican.org/schools and https://www.religiouseducationcouncil.org.uk/

The key characteristics of a Voluntary Aided Primary School are:

• The Church or Foundation governors are an absolute majority.
• Governors appoint and employ all staff.
• Governors are responsible for admissions arrangements, approved by the 'religious authority' as defined in the Admissions Code.
• The LA and the DDE have similar rights to attend governors meetings and to advise
• Governors determine the RE syllabus which should reflect the Anglican tradition and worship reflects the Anglican tradition.

Church schools recognise that as well as academic and emotional intelligence human beings also have spiritual intelligence. The spiritual aspects of life will be recognised, and nurtured alongside the academic and emotional needs of all.

Our School’s Spirituality Statement

St Nicholas’ CE (VA) Primary School is committed to being a community which promotes spiritual development. Spirituality looks outwards to reflect on the natural world, the environment and human capacities and achievement. It looks inwards to reflect on beliefs, values, feelings, hopes, dreams, ideals and aspirations. This reflection shapes the way we think, and feel about creation, ourselves, and other people, and how we respond.

The promise by Jesus of ‘life in all its fullness’ lies at the heart of Christian Spirituality and results in human flourishing. Christian Spirituality reflects the teachings of the Bible and involves the whole life of a person responding to God’s love. As a Church school, we are committed to giving pupils opportunities to explore and reflect on religious faith and particularly the Christian faith.

Our Christian values of love, friendship, peace, truthfulness, forgiveness, perseverance and thankfulness will deepen as we develop our spirituality within the life of the school.

Our School’s Inclusivity Statement:

St Nicholas’ CE (VA) Primary School is committed to creating a loving, nurturing community where life can be lived harmoniously together in safety, and where all involved in our school are able to learn, achieve and grow together. We are committed to valuing and upholding the dignity of all pupils, staff, parents and carers, irrespective of religious faith or no faith, ethnicity, gender identity, individual needs, age, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.