Christian Distinctiveness

We're very proud to be a Church Voluntary Aided school as this means that we are guided by the words of God the Father, the teachings of his Son (Jesus) and the presence of the Holy Spirit.  However, we recognise that Spirituality is not exclusive to a given faith.

'Future readiness’ for our pupils is built on the foundation of God’s love. Therefore, we aspire to live life in all its fu

llness (John 10:10) and to enable others to do the same. (Matthew 22:37 – 39)

We want to develop every child spiritually such that they: reflect; appreciate their relationships and the world around; explore their inner thoughts and beliefs; work out what is sacred to them; and respect and understand that others might think and believe differently.

 

RE Intent, Implementation and Impact statements

Blue Coat RE Policy

Spirituality

We recognise that there is much more to life and learning than a succession of objectives to be learnt.  Children experience the wonder of life first hand and for the first time each and every day.  For some this is the wonder of God's creation and for others this is the majesty of nature.  Our aim is to give children the opportunity to experience the incredible and reflect on what it means to them. 

Our spiritual journey does not simply sit inside Collective Worship.  It is where we develop our understanding of our interpretation of God.  To some this is a Christian God, whilst to others this could be Allah or even a scientific understanding of the Universe.  But we all celebrate the wonder of creation in every situation we find ourselves in.  It could be through the emotional connection of music, through prayer, through discovering the natural world (and bugs!) in Forest School or even through the beauty of patterns within Mathematics.  In other words, our spiritual journey is enhanced at every step of our time in school. 

Our children are able to explore their own spiritual journey.  They express their feelings clearly and are able to understand what makes them connect to something greater than themselves.  The natural beauty of Wotton provides a perfect backdrop to enhancing this connection.

 Key findings (SIAMS Inspection Report 2019)

• There is a positive impact of the vision and core values on academic progress and personal development. However, members of the school community do not readily articulate the Bible roots or explicitly Christian origins of the vision. This affects the outcome of this denominational inspection.

• An aspirational culture enables resilience in learning. Adults and pupils are reflective learners, enthusiastic to succeed, now and into the future.

•  Staff are talented, keen to learn as well as teach, and to support each other. They are key to the success of the school. Specialist support for those pupils who are more vulnerable or who have special educational needs/disabilities is effective.

•  Pupils are enthusiastic about religious education and enjoy the many opportunities to learn through creating artwork in the subject. The subject is exceptionally well-led.

• The focus on outdoor play and learning enriches the lives of pupils, allowing them to develop life-enhancing skills which are integral to ‘Future Readiness’.