Spiritual Journey
OUR SCHOOL VISION
'A loving branch from which to soar.'
'Those who hope in The Lord will find new strength;
They will soar high on wings like eagles.'
Isaiah 40:31
With The Lord by our side, we build inner strength and create a
loving family where all individuals can soar high.
We work in partnership with our families, the church and the community to ensure that our school vision underpins our whole school ethos.
The loving branch from which our children soar grows from the tree which is rooted in God's love.
The tree, The Lord's creation, represents our school. It is the solid and supportive foundation created by our school family and is underpinned by our strong Christian distinctiveness which runs through all that we do.
Our school family wraps children in wings of kindness as they begin to grow their own wings, so that we can all fly high together to make the world a better place.
From the safety and security of our loving branch children have the confidence to flourish, soar and the voice to be heard under God's guidance.
We believe that those who trust in the Lord are filled with the inner strength to soar high.
We celebrate individuality as our children unlock their gifts and passions.
We recognise that each of God's children will soar in their own direction, a direction which is right for them, so we equip them with the ability to be the best version of themselves before they leave.
As our children set out on the adventure of a lifetime, those surrounding them, supported by the love of God, will make sure that each and every child has the courage and resilience to follow their dreams.
Our vision statement is not just intended for the children but is a promise which we all make to each other; children, teachers, parents, family, church and the community.
We are all going on this adventure together, wrapped in God's love, and we wouldn't have it any other way.
Our new Vision and Values were launched in September 2022 after spending the previous twelve months working with our whole School Family: parents, staff, governors, pupils and members of the community, to arrive at the endpoint. Numerous members of the church (Rev Frances, Beryl Axcell, Paddy Fox and Gill Thompson) supported us on this journey.
OUR SCHOOL VALUES
Within our school family we nurture our core Christian Values:
Hard work
Empowerment
Acceptance
Respect
Thankfulness
This is how, with God's strength, we soar high like eagles.
These values are integral to our school. We truly live them on a daily basis and each week we celebrate those children who have worked hard to demonstrate these 'Words to Live By'.
WHALEY BRIDGE PARISH
One parish, one congregation, two church buildings
.
We are proud to be part of the Church of England Parish of Whaley Bridge in the Diocese of Chester: a Parish with two churches where we worship.
St James Church is the heart of Taxal, a hamlet a mile or so out of Whaley Bridge. There has been a church on this site since 1286, and a memorial slab of slate in the chancel records the name of Roger Jaudrell, who fought at Agincourt.
Holy Trinity Chruch on Buxton Road in Whaley Bridge dates from the early 20th century and the building has been re-ordered to create a flexible, multi-purpose space used by a number of community groups, as well as being in regular use for worship.
Church leaders are part of our school family and visit us regularly to lead worship in school and take an active part in school life.
Click here to visit the family page of the parish website.
OUR CHRISTIAN DISTINCTIVENESS
Our staff, governors and trustees are committed to providing an excellent education within the context of the Christian faith, which is underpinned by the Chester Diocese vision, which is "Loving in relationships, ambitious in aspirations and bold in actions". We value all children as ‘children of God’ and welcome them into our caring, happy and safe Church of England school family. We welcome everyone to join us, including those families of no faith or of other faiths.
Please refer to our Admissions Policy for more information about our admissions criteria.
Our vision enables and inspires those we serve to achieve their goals and aspirations. We accomplish this through our unwavering Christian ethos, which permeates all that we do, as we value every member of our school community regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or faith.
COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
Collective worship is about a school’s duty to develop pupils spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. This may include learning about interesting cultural traditions and their meaning, listening to stories with a moral message and reflecting on themes such as strength, courage or loyalty.
Collective worship should draw pupils’ attention to the values the school wishes to develop both as a body and in each individual. Collective worship is about the growth of the person, their character and social outlook, whatever their academic aptitudes.
Worship is a time when we come together to share our love of God and celebrate our achievements together. Worship is when we meet to acknowledge and reflect on God’s word and the teachings of Jesus.
At Kettleshulmes St James Collective Worship is a time when we come together to celebrate and share our love of God along with our achievements as a school family. All the contributions of staff, pupils, church clergy and other visitors are valued highly.
Collective Worship takes place daily and is planned on a termly basis to incorporate all major Christian festivals as well as thought provoking and reflective themes. The children start each Collective Worship by lighting a candle as a visual reminder of the Holy Spirit's presence. Collective Worship includes reflection, prayer, music and reference to a relevant biblical passage.
At Kettleshulme St James our daily worship may be whole school, class-based or key stage worship. Different members of our school family may lead the worship, including the headteacher, pupils, members of the church and other teaching staff. We follow the 'Roots and Fruits' Collective Worship programme.
