At St Oswald’s our six core values are:
- Respect
- Compassion
- Friendship
- Service
- Trust
- Justice
These reflect our Christian foundation as a Church of England School and provide the basis for everything we do and aim to achieve at St Oswald’s. Most importantly, they are at the heart of all the relationships that exist between the members of our school community – children, parents, staff, governors and our local community.
Our school aims are summarised in our school motto:
Learning for all, caring for each other, preparing for the future, Let us encourage one another – Hebrews 10.25
Here are some quotes from our most recent SIAMS Report, after the school was inspected and graded ‘Outstanding’ in June 2017:
“Personal and academic achievement sit side by side at St Oswald’s”
“St Oswald’s vision and values are woven throughout the whole curriculum.”
“Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary with sincere and respectful relationships the norm.”
“St Oswald’s is a school which ‘welcomes everybody
Our Christian Values
At St Oswald’s, Christian values are central to the ethos of our school. We have identified six core values that help us to live out our vision and should influence all relationships and actions and permeate our curriculum:
Respect
We should respect ourselves and treat others with consideration and understanding: respect another person’s point of view; respect the property of others;treat others fairly and show respect for the world in which we live.
Bible story: Solomon & the Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 3, 4, 10)
Compassion
Compassion is more than feeling sorry for someone: it leads to a desire to act, to do something. Compassion requires an act of imagination and humility to share in the lives of others.
Bible story: The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:20)
Friendship
Trust, feeling comfortable in each other’s company, being able to share joys and
sorrows are all features of friendship and these are things of immense value. True
friendship enables each person to grow and ensures that the unique individuality of each person is recognised.
Bible story: David and Jonathan (Samuel 18)
Service
We should serve those in need whoever they are, and this service is not offered to gain some advantage for ourselves. ‘Going the extra mile’ involves sacrifice, putting ourselves out for someone else’s benefit.
Bible story: The parable of the Good Samaritan(Luke 10)
Trust
Trust is essential to human life and lies at the heart of all relationships. Trust requires
vulnerability, putting yourself in others’ hands, and it is to be valued and honoured. When we trust in the abilities and integrity of others, everyone can be enriched.
Bible story: Jesus calms the storm (Matthew 8:23-27)
Justice
Justice means giving all people – particularly the poor and oppressed – what it is right and fair for them to have: life, health, freedom and dignity. It is about acting out of a concern for what is right and seeing right prevail. It is about social justice, especially for those who suffer most and are least able to protect themselves.
Bible story: The Parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20.1-16)
Our Vision
Learning for all, caring for each other, preparing for the future
Let us encourage one another – Hebrews 10:25
Our school community has reflected on what we want for every child who attends St Oswald’s CE Primary School, and together we have compiled a vision for our school.
Learning for all…
Our curriculum and teaching is designed to build resilience and a ‘can do’ attitude and provide opportunity for all pupils in our diverse community, including those who are vulnerable, to flourish and be the best that they can be. We want to stimulate imaginations and encourage our children to think deeply.
Caring for each other…
Everything we do in school should contribute to children’s personal, spiritual, moral and cultural development, and we want the whole school community to work together in kindness, acceptance, mutual respect and a willingness to forgive. Every pupil and adult should have the opportunity to be their best and do their best in a supportive and loving environment.
Preparing for the future…
All children within our diverse community are to be celebrated for their uniqueness and equipped with the sense of belonging that fosters confidence and self-belief. A purposeful, relevant and engaging curriculum will build on prior learning, equip our pupils for today and prepare them for the future. We aim to encourage independence, and responsibility, with the opportunity for our pupils to play a valued role in school and the wider community. We want our pupils to think creatively, develop ambition and have the confidence to stand by their convictions.
Our guiding scripture:
“Let us encourage one another.” Hebrews 10.25
This scripture reminds us that together we can achieve so much more than we can alone, both in our lessons and in our faith journey.
Our links with St Oswald’s Church
We have a special relationship with St Oswald’s church and we work closely with Reverend Sue Sheriff. Rev Sue comes into school regularly to deliver collective worship and to support our pupils in lots of different ways. We also use the church for services, led by the children, or as part of our work in Religious Education lessons.
Some of our Year 6 pupils also help out at the St Oswald’s Tots sessions. This helps Rev Sue and the toddlers who attend, but also gives our pupils the opportunity to develop their leadership skills, helping them to prepare for the future.
Collective Worship
As a church school, the children have a daily act of collective worship. This is a mixture of whole school, phase and class worship. Wherever the worship occurs, children are welcomed, given the opportunity to engage in the topic and then respond,and they usually leave the worship with something to think about. An important part of our collective worship is also the opportunity for children to have the time to reflect and contemplate.
Worship is led by staff in school, the children in our School Worship Team, Rev Sue Sheriff, YOYO and occasionally other visitors.