Our Vision and Values

Shrivenham School gives everyone the opportunity to believe in themselves, others, and God.  Through our values of love, hope and courage, everyone at our school will flourish, fulfil their unique potential and positively contribute to the community. 

'All things are possible for one who believes' (Mark 9:23)

At Shrivenham CE Primary School our core values are:

LOVE 

Love is the core value that underpins all that we do at Shrivenham CE Primary School.

In the Bible Jesus teaches us ‘'Love God with all your heart' and 'Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’ (Matthew 22:37-38)

Jesus demonstrated his unconditional love during his time on earth indiscriminately, and as followers of Jesus we aim to walk in his footsteps.

We show love to everyone by putting others before ourselves. By working together as part of a strong and supportive family, we can all achieve more - socially, emotionally and academically. 

HOPE 

The beginning of John’s Gospel says ‘The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’ Throughout his life Jesus gave hope to others and the resurrection of Jesus shows us that evil can never ultimately triumph over love.

Hope is a core value for our church school because we share in the joy that comes from the belief that there is always hope and all is never lost. Hope is an attitude of mind that we develop through faith in God and each other. 

In our school this helps is to keep going even when things get hard and when we face new challenges. Together we can turn hope into reality.

COURAGE

Courage is a core value for our church school because God asks us to be brave in the face of hardship.

In the book of Joshua, God tells his people to ‘Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened, for the Lord God is with you wherever you go.’ This reminds us to stand against injustice and to be the best we can be when things are difficult. 

We have courage to stand by our beliefs and are committed to what is right and true.

We have linked our Christian values to bible stories to help remind the children of our values and remind them of God's teaching.

LOVE  The Parable of The Good Samaritan reminds children to love thy neighbour and be a role model to others.

HOPE  The Parable of The Lost Sheep encourages children to have hope for others and to keep going.

COURAGE The Biblical story of David and Goliath inspires the children to be brave.

'Pupils appreciate how adults make everyone feel valued and safe in school.'

Ofsted 2022

Christian Distinctiveness

Shrivenham Church of England Primary School is a Voluntary Controlled Primary School within the Diocese of Oxfordshire. We work hard to develop and sustain our school’s Christian distinctiveness. Our Executive Headteacher, Head of School and governing body have a clear vision of a school with a distinctive Christian character. Our Governing Body is made up of several Foundation (Church) Governors. We work in close partnership with Rev. Norma Fergusson from St Andrew's Church, Shrivenham and with other local clergies such as Padre Phil from St Alban's (MOD) Church and the Methodist Church. 

The Church of England’s vision for education (2016) is deeply Christian, with Jesus’ promise of ‘life in all its fullness’ at its heart. In line with the Church of England’s role as the established Church, their vision is for the common good of the whole community.

• Educating for wisdom, knowledge and skills: enabling discipline, confidence and delight in seeking wisdom and knowledge, and developing talents in all areas of life.
• Educating for hope and aspiration: enabling healing, repair and renewal, coping wisely when things go wrong, opening horizons and guiding people into ways of fulfilling them.
• Educating for community and living well together: a core focus on relationships, participation in communities and the qualities of character that enable people to flourish together.
• Educating for dignity and respect: the basic principle of respect for the value and preciousness of each person, treating each person as a unique individual of inherent worth.

As a Church of England School, we offer an education that is distinctively Christian. Although each church school is unique, all church schools will share core values based on the Gospel values. Church schools are therefore places where loving God and loving our neighbours, is lived out in the daily life of the school. Therefore, recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level. Shrivenham CE Primary School aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers all of its pupils.

Our School is founded upon core values of love, hope and courage and that 'all things are possible for one who believes'. Time is spent exploring what is distinctively Christian about these particular values and our vision. Many other values are explicitly taught throughout the school day such as, respect, friendship, trust and gratitude. We strive for excellent relationships making our school a happy place to work and learn.

'Pupils understand the school's motto, 'all things are possible for one who believes', and say that

this inspires them to work hard in everything they do.'

'Pupils love attending Shrivenham Primary School where strong Christian values

permeate through all aspects of school life. '

Ofsted 2022