SundayReflection

  1^st October 2023

'Miserden C.E. Primary School intends to'

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"reflect the nature of the Trinity, a life shared and defined by reference to others. "

Here we can begin to discover who we are, why we are, and - perhaps most importantly - what we might be.

In our school our Christian vision shapes all we do - Welcoming and Serving All Through Discovery, Enjoyment and Nurture

The school welcomes and serves all in its community.
We work to mirror the body of Christ believing that everyone brings gifts and talents that enrich our life together.

We treat one another with generosity, compassion, respect, forgiveness and friendship inspired by the parable of the Good Samaritan.
We strive to ensure the children of our school receive the very best education possible believing that an excellent standard of Education is an expression of God's love for us.

In order to foster spiritual development, the school aims to provide children with opportunities to:

Develop an appreciation of their uniqueness and value as a child made in the image of God;
Develop an understanding of the distinctive ethos of this church school as well as the context, language and symbolism of the Christian faith;
Develop knowledge and understanding of the school's core Christian values and the Biblical teaching that underpins them;
Develop an appreciation of what it means to be a part of a community
(e.g. using their gifts and abilities in the service of others);
Develop the skills and language required to enable them to reflect upon the big questions and mysteries of life;
Develop an awareness that experiences of disappointment, failure and loss may be occasions for spiritual growth;
Understand the value of difference and diversity through involvement with others.

Through teaching and learning, the school pursues these aims by ensuring:
The curriculum and all areas of our community life will be explicitly rooted in Christian values,
such as forgiveness, thankfulness, peace and trust, as documented in all school policies;
Opportunities for spiritual development will be pro-actively planned into the curriculum and actively encouraged in all areas of school life;
Collective worship will celebrate the love of God for every individual and provide opportunities for children to respond to this;

The school building and outdoor environment will provide appropriate spaces for silence, stillness and prayer
That children's spiritual capacities such as imagination, empathy and insight will be fostered through the creative arts and interactive multi-sensory teaching strategies;
That children's moral development will be linked to spiritual development through strategies such as windows, mirrors and doors;
That the RE curriculum will deliver knowledge and understanding about a range of perspectives relating to spirituality;
That children will be given as many opportunities as possible to explore the wonder of the natural world and to develop an understanding of the Christian belief that creation is a gift from God to be enjoyed, cherished and protected.

To foster moral development, the school aims to provide children with opportunities to:
Recognise the difference between right and wrong and begin to understand how Christian values inform a particular perspective on moral choices;
Understand how our moral choices can affect the lives of others;
Be able to work together to agree codes of behaviour that are appropriate for our school community;
Understand the centrality of forgiveness and reconciliation in the life and culture of our school;
Begin to engage with big questions concerning morality and ethical issues in the wider community and in the world, and to realise that each of us has a responsibility to work for justice.

Children explore the ways in which cultural, racial, and religious prejudice can take root and learn how to recognise this and other forms of discrimination as well as ways to counter it;
Whole school projects which celebrate diversity within the local and wider community feature in our curriculum;

Knowledge of our Diocese and dioceses overseas teach children that as a church school, we are a part of the World Wide Anglican Communion
which comprises a rich cultural diversity of Christian traditions and practices

Un-edited version avaiable, on request

Miserden C of E Primary School
We are a small, highly regarded and successful school in Gloucestershire
built on strong Christian values and excellent relationships between adults and children.
We pride ourselves in offering a first class, all round education.
We have high but realistic expectations of each child, recognising each individual's strengths and weaknesses.