St Mary’s is a Church of England Primary school which means we have a Christian character and ethos. The development of social, spiritual and emotional intelligence of children at St Mary’s is as important as academic achievement.
Church schools are not ‘faith schools’ for Christians but Christian schools for all and are committed to serving the needs of the local community.
Church of England Primary schools offer a vision of human flourishing for all, one that embraces excellence and academic rigour, but sets them in a wider framework.
This framework is rooted in four basic elements:
• 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 with things and people going 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.
Our vision, in line with the Church of England’s role as the established Church, is for the common good of the whole community and its environment, whether national, regional or local. It is hospitable to diversity, respects freedom of religion and belief, and encourages others to contribute from the depths of their own traditions and understandings. It invites collaboration, alliances, negotiation of differences, and the forming of new settlements in order to serve the flourishing of a healthily plural society and democracy, together with a healthily plural educational system.
If you would like to know more about the Church of England’s vision for education please click here