BEING A CHURCH SCHOOL

Being a church school we discuss the values and teachings of Christian Faith, guided by the Church of England. We also, openly discuss other faiths, the children are encouraged to question and discuss what they do and don't believe. This culture of being curious about faith, life and learning, is key to the school's culture and this was celebrated in our SIAMS (Church school) Inspection.

"Children express their views on matters of faith and belief with the confidence and openness that reflects the school's inclusive ethos." (SIAMS inspection report, March 2016)

The teachers guide the children through the Living Difference County Religious Education Curriculum, which is also followed by most schools in Hampshire. This curriculum gives the children the opportunity to discuss different themes such as WATER, LOVE, and SACRIFICE while looking at other religions compared to the Christian Faith. This world view of faith and belief gives the children the knowledge of different religions and also lets them explore what the Christian Faith has to offer.

The SIAMS report noted...

"Teaching is confident and carefully planned to meet the needs of the syllabus and the scheme of work used to implement it. This serves children well as they secure the knowledge of Christianity and the other world faiths and they are able to apply this knowledge to learn from their studies." (SIAMS inspection report, March 2016)

Alongside the Religious Education curriculum, the school encourages the children to develop their spirituality by giving them many awe inspiring moments, time to reflect and developing times for children to follow their own lines of discussion and inquiry. These moments also happen spontaneously, (not planned) and these are encouraged and time given to be explored. We feel this is really important for children to experience these moments and develop their own personal spirituality.  

"Opportunities for children to develop their personal spiritual awareness are becoming increasingly important for their wellbeing and success in their learning." (SIAMS inspection report, March 2016)

As a "Church" school we have the advantage of strong and supportive links with our local church, St Mary's, Andover. The Church workers and clergy visit the school on a regular basis, they lead worships, run a community café, guide the children on tours of the church, lead services in the church for our children and have representatives on our Governing Body.

For more information about our linked local church please visit:

https://www.stmarysandover.org/

We are also affiliated to the Diocese of Winchester and more information about their Education Team (which is joint with the Diocese of Portsmouth)  can be found here:

https://www.winchester.anglican.org/education-and-schools/

“Church Schools are as concerned as any other school to equip pupils for lives marked by rapid change, global competition and insecurity. But Church Schools know in their viscera that this is not just about acquiring skills and good examination results. It is about forming people who have the moral strength and spiritual depth to hold to a course and weather ups and downs. It is about forming people who know that economic competition is not more important than family life and love of neighbour, and that technical innovation is not more important than reverence for the beauty of creation. It is about forming people who, however academically and technically skilful, are not reduced to inarticulate embarrassment by the great questions of life and death, meaning and truth. Church Schools themselves embody the truth that a context of firm principles suffused by faith and love is the best and right basis for learning and growing.” Robert Runcie