Community and Living Well Together

How we live this out in our school - a celebration of excellence

As a village school, community plays a pivotal role in the school experience that we provide for our pupils. It is one of our curriculum drivers and we pride ourselves on the relationships and links that we have developed with our local clergy, church community and other establishments.

This is underpinned by our Christian Vision, ‘Powered by love; we believe, achieve, grow’ which puts ‘love at the core of all we do’ (1 Corinthians 13) and creates an inclusive ethos where everyone is welcome and everyone belongs. It is our ambition to be a hub in the community where families feel comfortable, a place they come for support and a place that enables everyone to flourish.

How we achieved this

Ultimately this has been achieved through all stakeholders living our values of kindness, respect, responsibility, and friendship to create a learning where everyone is equipped to achieve their very best and grow as an all-round individual – we have high expectations of all those associated with our school community. We value our relationships and invest time in cultivating these to ensure we have the best provision available for all our pupils and families to meet their needs – whether this is through partnerships with agencies, working with external professionals, alternative provision or providing pastoral support to help overcome barriers. We have created an environment where our pupils are courageous advocates who want to inspire and drive change in their local community based on the local context. Working the partnership with our parish, we have set up a ‘Community Pantry’ and the children have filled it to support those who may be in need of food, books or toiletries.

What difference does it make?

• Families feel supported and barriers are removed through positive relationships

• School is seen as a safe place

• Children are developing as courageous advocates within their local context and can see the difference they can make which contributes to personal and spiritual growth

• Positive impact on pupil and community wellbeing

• A strong sense of community

“Our community pantry is really helpful to everyone because if you do not have enough food, you can come and get some for free. It will have everything you need and it will be a reliable resource as we have worked together with other people, like Reverend Eleanor to set it up.” Year 5 Pupil

“The first range of stock has been mainly donated through a Harvest collection with the school. Both resources are there for the whole community- not 'just families'. We can both 'rescue' someone who has entirely run out of food, and enjoy sharing garden produce and things we no longer need. The books are there to feed the mind and spirit, and provide a good reason for anyone to enter the shed without feeling awkward about being there. It is a symbol of the life we share in common, and many people feel personally invested in its success.” Reverend Eleanor/Governor