Vision and Values

Vision at St Peter's

We welcome everyone, as part of the St Peter’s family, to experience the fullness of God’s love in their lives. We aim for everyone to be nurtured in order that they can reach their full potential and so flourish, achieve and live fulfilled lives.

‘I have come that they may have life – life in all its fullness’ John 10:10

Our school vision, developed in 2023, is theologically rooted in the Bible parable of the Good Shepherd from the Gospel of John in the New Testament. We chose this as it represents the holistic development of everybody whilst at our school. It encourages us to be accepting of our flaws as well as embracing our strengths as individuals and as a collective. It prepares us to flourish in our next stage of education. Everyone at St Peter's lives out this vision daily, we have a strong belief in nurturing ourselves, others and the world around us. This leads to us enjoying life in it's fullest sense; emotional, spiritual, academic and social.

Our school prayer embodies our vision:

Dear God,
Thank you for today and for life in all its fullness.
Help us to belong together,
to believe in ourselves and in you,
Let tomorrow be filled with love and hope.
Amen.

Values at St Peter's

Belonging, Believing, Building a Future

Our school staff and pupils revisited the existing values (in 2023) and agreed they are still valuable and relevant to us and will be used as a motto to support our vision. Belonging encompasses the role of Jesus as belonging with the flock and as the Son of God. We actively welcome people to our school community and prioritise their sense of belonging in our school community. Believing highlights the importance of the relationship with God. Pupils talk of believing in themselves, in others and the invitation to believe in something bigger than themselves; a God or spiritual entity. Building a Future supports the idea of an abundant life to come, for ourselves and others. Pupils understand they can contribute to their own and other's futures in many different ways and actively seek opportunities to do so for the benefit of all. These values encompass the British values of Tolerance, respect, liberty, democracy and rule of law. They espouse the Christian values of love, faith, hope, forgiveness. Click the link to view How we promote British Values at St Peter's

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Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development at St Peter's

Our school holds daily Collective Worship, led by a range of staff, pupils and visitors. It is guided by the Church of England liturgical calendar and also the six themes of our chosen PSHCE programme: Jigsaw. These are explored through a range of parables, Bible readings and moral teachings. Complimentary activities such as Spacemakers give pupils the chance to be still and reflective in a variety of ways.Click here to see the Collective Worship policy and overview. Our curriculum and enrichment program leads to rich moral, social, cultural and spiritual experiences that not only allow pupils to appreciate their own context and strengths but also have new and different opportunities in our local community and further afield.

Spirituality at St Peter's

Throughout their school life, we invite our community to to experience God's love and to develop a sense of spirituality through a range of opportunities. .During 2024-5 we have been exploring what Spirituality means to us as a school. Everyone in school agrees it is something bigger or beyond ourselves. Words that were repeated often were: joy; love; goodness; curiosity; wonder. Following this we developed a shared understanding of spirituality as

'A way of connecting, to yourself, to others or to the wider world, including God if you so choose. It is personal and happen anywhere. It helps you.'

At St Peter's, developing spirituality involves:

discussing and reflecting on key questions of meaning and truth such as the origins of the universe, life after death, good and evil, beliefs about God and values such as justice, honesty and truth.
learning about and reflecting on important concepts, experiences and beliefs that are at the heart of religious and other traditions and practices.
considering how beliefs and concepts in religion may be expressed through the creative and expressive arts and related to the human and natural sciences, thereby contributing to personal and communal identity.
considering how religions and other worldviews perceive the value of human beings, and their relationships with one another, with the natural world, and with God.
valuing relationships and developing a sense of belonging.
developing their own views and ideas on religious and spiritual issues.

It can involve: stillness; noticing; connecting; creativity; expression; nature; reflection; prayer. At St Peter's we use the spacemakers resource to develop our spirituality.

Ethos at St Peter's

St Peter's School provides children with the unique opportunity to learn and play in a happy, safe and stimulating environment in which they feel a strong sense of belonging. We are proud of our school's warm, caring atmosphere, where every child is truly believed in and valued for who they are and where they develop a genuine love of learning.

We have high expectations and seek to develop in all our children a strong sense of responsibility for their behaviour and a respect for others. The Christian foundation of our school underpins all that we do.

At St Peter’s each child’s unique talents and personality are embraced and developed, fostering self belief and confidence. We acknowledge and respect every child’s individuality, we listen to and work with parents and are committed to being integral to the local community that we belong to.

Through continual praise and support, children are carefully nurtured by a highly dedicated team and supported by an enthusiastic and committed Governing Body. The warm-hearted ethos of St Peter's is very special indeed - the children really do flourish and are very well prepared, in the broadest way, for their future lives.