Christian Ethos and Values
Proud to be growing and succeeding together.
I am delighted to be able to share our final SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) report with you following our inspection in January 2023. The main objective of the inspection is to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a church school answering the question: How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?
As you can see, we have been judged Good in all 3 areas: Collective Worship, Religious Education and Overall.
We are thrilled with this result and I please ask that you read the full report which details how fantastic our school is. Thank you for all of your support.
The Kingdom of heaven is like this. A man takes a mustard seed and sows it in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up, it is the biggest of all plants. It becomes a tree, so that birds come and make their nests in its branches.
Matthew 13:31-32
The Parable of the Mustard Seed is one of the shorter pieces of Jesus’ teachings and in it He describes the Kingdom of Heaven growing from small beginnings. He likens it to a mustard seed which, though it is the smallest of the seeds, when tended properly it grows so large birds can come and rest in it. The Parable of the Mustard Seed is a key passage that reflects so much of our school vision ‘Proud to be Growing and Succeeding Together’. It can be a metaphor for our children, who blossom during their time here ready for the next stage of their journey. Every individual child is nurtured here and enabled to flourish through our teaching and care. We treat every person in our school community with the dignity and respect they deserve as children of God. Each person (child and adult) is like a mustard seed, and grows in our school community, supported by that same school community. We hope that each child will have an experience of the ‘Kingdom of God’ during their time here; through our daily worship, through wisdom gained from teaching and learning, and particularly through a realisation that ‘God is love’ and they are loved and therefore part of God’s kingdom – that we are in God’s hands.
Our school prayer
Dear Lord,
Bless our school, in working together and playing together, that we may learn to serve you and serve one another.
Amen.
Our Values
Empathy – that we may have compassion for others and be sensitive to their feelings. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Eph 4:32)
Honesty – that we may tell the truth, do the right thing, and be trusted by other people.
Love does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. (1 Cor 13:6)
Respect – for ourselves, for others and for the world, that we may treat people equally and earn respect from them.
Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. (1 Thess 5:13)
Responsibility – that we may make the right choices, do all things to the best of our abilities and succeed in our goals and ambitions.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Gal 6:9)
Collective Worship at Trinity Academy St Chad’s
We participate in an act of Collective Worship every day led by a teacher or a visitor from our local church. Our Collective Worship is central to the life of the school.
We hold a daily act of Collective Worship in our school; class teachers attend with their classes. All other adults are welcome to attend also. The Collective Worship plan also includes whole school worship occasions, when all adults attend and parents and carers are invited too.
Children in Reception participate in a daily act of Collective Worship in their classrooms. The children in Reception begin to attend our whole school Collective Worship weekly once a week from September and this increases throughout the year.
The Principal, local clergy, teachers and Collective Worship Ambassadors lead Collective Worship.
Worship throughout the week follows the following format:
Common routines during Collective Worship:
- ‘Here I am to worship’ is played whilst pupils enter and bring their worship candles into the worship space
- Opened with sharing the peace
- Lighting of the candle
- A moment of reflection to think about how we have grown (links to the school vision)
- A Bible verse is shared and a short talk/drama/activity follows this
- Time for reflection on the message of the Collective Worship
- A hymn or spiritual song
- Prayers
- Collective Worship Council
School has a Collective Worship Council comprising of an ambassador from Year 1 to Year 6. Each day, members of the Council welcome everyone to lead and conclude our Collective Worship. The Ambassadors are also responsible for the delivery of one complete session of Collective Worship each half term.
Our next steps as Collective Worship Ambassadors are to review how Collective Worship is delivered in school, visit other schools to learn from their practice and bring back their observations.
Valuing All God's Children
The Church of England is committed to an education that enables people to live life in all its fullness and fulfils the words of Jesus in John 10:10.
At Trinity Academy St Chad’s, we believe that we must avoid diminishing the dignity of any individual child, family or colleague to a stereotype. Our school offers a community where everyone is a person known and loved by God. We support each other so that we can learn about and celebrate our own intrinsic value. We celebrate the Christian message of love and joy, celebrating our own unique humanity without exception or exclusion.
British Values
The Department for Education has introduced a statutory duty for schools to promote British Values more actively from September 2014, and to ensure they are taught in schools.
Trinity Academy St Chad’s is committed to serving its community. We recognise the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. We follow equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. We are dedicated to preparing our children for their adult life by ensuring that we promote and reinforce British values to all its students.
The five key British Values are:
- Democracy
- The rule of law
- Individual liberty
- Mutual respect
- Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
At Trinity Academy St Chad’s, we use a variety of strategies within the national curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students. We want each of our children to be empathetic, honest, respectful of others and responsible.
SMSC
SMSC is about developing the whole person. As our pupils move through the school, we are committed to developing not only their academic standards and levels of achievement, but also their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. We aim to provide opportunities for our children to form their own identity, sense of place and purpose and giving them the confidence to question and discover who they are in the world and face the exciting challenges that lie ahead. Being a church school adds another dimension to our SMSC provision as our Christian ethos and distinctiveness permeates all aspects of school life and underpins our values and mission.
Spiritual
- We give students the opportunity to explore values and beliefs, including religious beliefs, and the way in which they affect people’s lives
- We give students the opportunity to understand human feelings and emotions, the way they affect people and how an understanding of them can be helpful
- We encourage students to relate their learning to a wider frame of reference – for example, asking ‘why?’, ‘how?’ and ‘where?’, as well as ‘what?’
Moral
- We provide a clear moral code as a basis for behaviour which is promoted consistently through all aspects of the school through our core values (Empathy, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility)
- We promote measures to prevent discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age and other criteria
- We encourage students to take responsibility for their actions. For example, respect for property and care of the environment
- We provide models of moral development through our curriculum; it is embedded into our acts of Collective Worship
Social
- We foster a sense of community, with common, inclusive values which ensure that everyone, irrespective of ethnic origin, nationality, gender, ability, sexual orientation and religion, can flourish
- We help students develop personal qualities which are valued in a society, for example, thoughtfulness, honesty, respect for difference, moral principles, independence, interdependence and self-respect
- We encourage students to work together co-operatively
Cultural
- We provide opportunities for students to explore their own cultural assumptions and values
- We present authentic accounts of the attitudes, values and traditions of diverse cultures
- We extend students’ knowledge and use of cultural imagery and language, recognising and nurturing particular gifts and talents
- We provide opportunities for students to participate in literature, drama, music, art and craft based activities
SIAMS
Approximately every five years, schools are subject to an inspection which explores the question, “How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?”
This overarching inspection question is examined through seven strands:
1. Vision and Leadership
2. Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills
3. Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy
4. Community and Living Well Together
5. Dignity and Respect
6. Impact of Collective Worship
7. Effectiveness of Religious Education
Below is a summary of how the school meets the expected standard within these seven strands.
