Our Church School

Ann Edwards Church of England Primary School

 

‘Learning and Achieving in a Caring Community’

‘Do to others what you would want them to do to you’ Matthew 7:12

 

Ann Edwards Church of England Primary School provides the highest quality education within the context of caring Christian beliefs and practices; in partnership with our local church ‘ All Hallows’  Ann Edwards C of E Primary School is a creative , nurturing inclusive community shaped by our vision for spiritual growth and our Christian values. Children of any faith, or none, are given the opportunity to develop their own spirituality, valuing wisdom, growing in hope, showing respect and exploring big questions

 

The Church of England has always been concerned with education in many forms and the history of Church schools began when the National Society for the Promotion of Education was founded in 1811.

“A community school with a distinctive Christian character.”

• The ethos of the schools is based on distinctively Christian values
• Church 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
• Church schools recognise that as well as academic and emotional intelligence human beings also have spiritual intelligence
• The values of our country have their roots in the Christian faith.
• That distinctive difference will be rooted in Christian values that affect the way everyone behaves and in the way everyone is respected.
• Areas for reflection which contain school prayers and prayers that the children have created themselves.
• Greater emphasis on links with the local parish church
• Church schools encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian values through the experience that they offer all pupils.

 

“Christian values make a difference to the quality of relationships throughout the school community and underpin the care and nurture given to meet the needs of all children” SIAMS Report 2016

 

Our SARA (Spiritual and Reflection Area) Garden’

As a church school, our SARA Garden is an area to encourage our pupils to reflect, find peace and quiet and to allow for prayer, reflection and peer mediation. Our SARA garden is set slightly apart from the rest of the school grounds to create an ambience and atmosphere that is special and sacred, providing additional SMSC (Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural) opportunities and adding a spiritual dimension to outdoor learning.

We have dedicated time and love to bringing this special, reflective outdoor space back to being an area of beauty where our children and staff can find quiet and calm. Our plan is for the children, through the school pupil council, to reflect on its use and take ownership of how we develop it further in the future.

• Please click here to find out more about our lovely SARA Garden.

 

Church Schools Links

• Church of England Vision for Education

• Statement of Entitlement

• Valuing All God’s Children’s Report

• History of Church Schools

 

SIAMs Report July 2016

• Ann Edwards Primary VC SIAMS ReportJuly2016.

 

Our All Hallows Church Links

We have very close links with All Hallows Church, our village church in South Cerney. Children visit the church termly for special services such as, Harvest, Remembrance, Christmas, Easter or Leaver’s and to enhance their learning in religious education. Our Collective Worship Pupils Ethos group plan and lead services in conjunction with the RE subject lead and Reverend Jennifer McKenzie.

Reverend Jennifer Mackenzie visits our school on a regular basis, she is a Foundation Member of the Local Governing Board, an Ethos Committee member and she leads worship.

Open The Book:

We have visitors from regular church members leading Open the Book.  Bible stories and learning from them with members of the community of All Hallows Church with each class on a rota.

Church members also hear readers and always come along to our prayer space mornings and community events. The younger children in school invite older residents to their nativity play and the local playgroup come along too. In addition to this we promote church events through our newsletter and our choir attend many Church events supporting their local church community through song.

Every alternate two years we work with the I Sing Pop team to create a CD and also hold two concerts in the church. On the alternating year we decorate a Christmas tree for the church as part of a whole school Christmas tree community event.

• All Hallows Church, South Cerney

 

Our Christian Values

At Ann Edwards Church of England Primary School, our aim and purpose is summed up in our schools vision statement :

 

 ‘Learning and achieving together  in a caring environment ‘

 

We are a caring and happy school that encourages everyone, both children and staff, to give their best.

Our vision for Ann Edwards C of E Primary School is based on a foundation of Christian values and principles and has been developed through extensive consultation and development to reflect our unique school community:

Learning and achieving in a caring community.

This vision is deeply Christian and rooted in Biblical teaching, specifically Matthew 7.12: ‘Do to others what you would want them to do to you.’ This ethos is at the core of what our school is about, along with our special chosen Bible story, the Story of the Good Samaritan.

Our vision is underpinned by our core Christian values of:

Respect   Perseverance   Service   Compassion   Thankfulness   Forgiveness   Creativity

These values form the basis of the spiritual, social, intellectual, emotional and moral development of our children. These values are addressed through specific lessons, assemblies and collective acts of worship, but we also embed these ideals throughout the whole curriculum. We encourage the whole school community to take greater responsibility for their own behaviour, actions and learning. As adults, we lead by example and demonstrate to the children that we care for them, have a positive perception of them, understand their feelings and listen to their views. We strive to create a positive climate for all within the school, where everyone is valued and respected and where disrespectful attitudes and actions are challenged should they arise. It is important, as the children grow up, that they learn to choose, develop and deepen their own positive values and consider the implications of their choices in relation to themselves, the communities of which they are a part, and society at large.

 

Our school ethos links with the vision of both the Church of England and the Diocese of Gloucester. Through our engaging and creative curriculum we wish to live out Jesus’ words in John 10.10 by helping our children to thrive and enjoy ‘life in all it’s fullness – be that through daily lessons and focusing on our values, forest school for all year groups, philosophy for children, special curriculum events or enrichment activities.

 

We have seven main themes, which form the basis of our ‘Values’ work in school, they are:

Compassion Forgiveness Respect	Perseverance Service Thankfulness Creativity

 

As well as focusing on a value each term (and revisiting Thankfulness throughout the year), each class awards a values certificate in our Friday achievement collective worship for a child that is a shining light of upholding our focus value.

Links between the values are referred to at all times, as and when appropriate. This helps the children to realise that values are connected to each other and also to recognise how those links can be made. Whatever the theme, the whole school community should be encouraged to see these values in the light of the way they behave and the decisions they make. By clicking on the link, you can access stories, activities and questions you may like to explore with your child and as a family. We hope you enjoy them.

 

Collective Worship Weekly Timetable:

Day / Time	Focus	Lead
Monday 2.25 pm Whole school & all staff	Value of the Term. ‘Roots and Fruits’.	Head , Rev. McKenzie or RE Subject Lead
Tuesday 9.10 am Whole school	Open The Book: Bible stories & learning from them with members the community of All Hallows Church	Open the book team (Children actively involved )
Wednesday – 30 minutes In classes	Classes explore the weekly ‘Big Question’ based on our current value or exploring the world using Philosophy for Children approaches Or Class Assembly	Class Teachers
Thursday 9:10am Class worship – all staff	Worship through song	Music Subject Lead or Class teachers and children
Friday 2.15 pm Whole school & staff	Celebration worship & reflecting upon the week – a time for personal reflection. Child-led reflection on the Value.	Child Led Head or Deputy Head