St Peter's Church of England (VA) Primary School
One Family, Aiming High, Learning Together with God
Our Journey to the St. Peter's School Vision
Below, is the story to how our school vision was created all the way through to how we live this in our daily lives through the teaching of Jesus and the bible. Please take time to read our vision journey and if you have any questions, please do come and ask. If you would like to help shape our educational journey, through our school vision, then there are many ways to do this ranging from joining our Governing Body to working with our 'parent working party'.
Where it all began:
At St. Peter's, we have a rich and long history of being a local school within the Rickmansworth/Mill End border. We have a fantastic connection with our church, St. Peter's who works closely with us to ensure that our children are supported on their unique spiritual journeys. Through the years, St. Peter's has gone through many changes, since its creation in 1880, but one thing has always held true, our children are loved and cared for by all and this is something that we teach through the guidance of God.
St. Peter's has always had a supportive parent community that wish for their children to excel in all aspects of life which intertwines with the staffs' philosophy of providing the most loving and supportive environment for all to flourish.
Since being head in March 2020, I have, like all members of our community, the vision to ensure all the children in our care can flourish and become the individuals they want to be. Through our shared vision of, 'One Family, Aiming High, Learning Together with God,' we work with all in our community to be the pillar of support that our children deserve.
Below is our school prayer. Our school prayer is used daily as a part of our worship. We give thanks and reflect on the significant gift that God gave to us all. All prayer links with our school vision of, 'One Family, Aiming High, Learning Together with God,' as it states our commitment to take care of all living things on Earth and our neighbours.
Our School Prayer
When we put our hands together we think about God,
Everyday we will do our best to take care of each other and all the living things on earth,
Help us to respect each other and trust one another,
Show me how to be an even better person today than I was yesterday,
Thank you God for guiding us today, tomorrow and always
Amen
Why this Vision?
Our school vision of all our children excelling has been chosen by all in our community. Through shared working we have identified, that our children should not only have access to an 'Outstanding' broad and balanced curriculum but interwoven are the teachings of God, Jesus and the bible. Through collaboration with our parents, staff, governors and children, we have identified what we wish for our futures. After many weeks of work, we settled on the following:
At St. Peter’s, we have a rich curriculum, that is rooted in a wholesome Christian ethos, that inspires and motivates children to achieve their individual successes that will prepare them for a love of life-long learning
This is distilled into our shortened version of, ‘One Family, Aiming High, Learning Together with God’
Our School Parable
Through our vision work, we spent time identifying parables that would link with our school vision. We decided upon the parable of 'The Lost Sheep'. This parable comes from the moment that Jesus has tax collectors gathered around him. They are unhappy as they feel that Jesus eats with those that choose the wrong path. Jesus then starts to tell the story below:
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’
This parable links in a truly wonderful way with our school vision. At St. Peter's, we all hold the vision of being one family that would support, cares and loves all. As this parable shows we, like Jesus, will rejoice when we bring others into our family. We always show love to our neighbours even when things may be challenging. Through our vision and parable, we use this as a bedrock for our unique Christian ethos.
Below are links to how we live our vision and parable in our daily lives.