School Vision and Values
School vision:
'Moving forward together as a family, with loving respect'
In our community family at Palgrave Church of England Primary School, our vision for now and the future is to nurture supportive relationships, inclusion, spirituality, and a warm, positive environment. This vision, underpinned by our Christian values, is firmly anchored in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7. These verses form our guidelines for Christian living as we strive to put Christian love into practice at school each day.
Each pupil and staff member is encouraged to use their individual gifts to the full, working together closely, enabling the school community to flourish and grow collectively.
Our vision explained
Christian values underpin everything we do at Palgrave Church of England Primary School. The atmosphere is friendly and caring, and there is energy and momentum, with a sense that we can do (almost!) anything together as a team, within which each individual has an important role to play. We value all God's children and encourage and support everyone in our school community to be the best they can be, in all that they do and achieve.
The apostle Paul describes love as the way for us to work together well, using our diverse skills and abilities. Love enables the different parts of the body of the church – or school – to respect and encourage one another’s gifts and skills, and to work together harmoniously. This creates unity and strength, to the benefit and joy of all.
Our core values – respect, perseverance, honesty, kindness - are encapsulated in these verses in Paul’s letter to the early church in Corinth:
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1 Corinthians 13: 4-7)
This is a Bible passage that is familiar to many people due to its use at weddings, though Paul was writing with an entire community in mind. The words resonate deeply with our school community at Palgrave and the way we work hard to put Christian love into practice, keeping these key principles at the heart of all that we do.
Our Christian values and how we live out our vision
Our core Christian values, chosen by our children, staff, parents and others closely involved with the school, provide a solid foundation for all we do as a school family. We live out these values in our day to day lives at school.
Each week, as part of collective worship, the team captains identify and describe ways in which individual children have demonstrated one of the values. This enables the entire school to recognise and celebrate how our values are being put into practice. It is also an opportunity to strengthen and support the school community and celebrate the Christian belief that each unique individual member is made in the image of God.
Our core values:
Respect
We demonstrate self-respect, respect for others and respect for our environment.
Perseverance
We have a ‘can do’ attitude and aspire to achieve goals and overcome challenges.
Honesty
We are honest and understand that everyone can learn from their mistakes.
Kindness
We are friendly and considerate to others and help where we can.
We encourage the children to think about personal and social values, and to become aware of and involved in the life and concerns of their community and society. We aim to develop their capacity to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society and effective citizens of Palgrave and the wider world.