Our Vision and Values
Our school is a church school with strong Christian foundations. We aim to provide the very best for every child in our school and to help them to reach their potential within a safe and secure Christian environment.
Inspired by the words of Matthew 5:16, "Let your light shine," our vision is to create a school community where each person is empowered to shine brightly. Rooted in the values of aspiration, respect, courage, and community, we seek to build a safe, nurturing environment where everyone is valued and enabled to flourish. We believe that each person is uniquely gifted, and we celebrate every achievement. In all things, we strive to do our very best. Our vision calls us to be lights in the world, achieving the very best and making a positive impact on our communities and world around us.
We have four core values which stem from our vision and underpin everything we do at school. They are rooted in the scriptures and children are taught what Jesus teaches us in the New Testament about:
How do our Christian values build upon our school vision?
Aspiration: This value is about encouraging every child to aim high and dream big. It's about fostering a love for learning and a desire to excel in life. When we nurture aspiration, we're helping children to 'shine brightly' by giving them the tools and motivation they need to reach their full potential.
Respect: Respect is a fundamental value that teaches children to value themselves and others. It's about recognizing the worth of every individual and treating everyone with kindness and understanding. When children learn to respect, they let their 'light shine' by creating a positive and inclusive environment for everyone.
Courage: Courage is about having the strength to face challenges and overcome obstacles. It's about standing up for what's right, even when it's difficult. When we instill courage in children, we're empowering them to 'shine brightly' by showing them that they have the power to make a difference.
Community: Community is about fostering a sense of belonging and unity. It's about teaching children the importance of working together and supporting each other. When we build a strong community, we're helping children to 'let their light shine' by showing them that they're part of something bigger than themselves.
All members of our school community sign up to our Christian vision and values, which underpin all we do at our school, from forming relationships to academic achievement and school improvement. Our vision and values are evident in the children's great attitudes towards their learning and everyone's positive relationships with each other in school.
British Values
At Shaw School, we actively promote British values through our school vision, ethos, agreed rules, curriculum, and teaching. As such, we promote tolerance of, and respect for, people of all faiths (or those with no faith), cultures, and lifestyles.
We prepare children and young people positively for life in modern Britain by supporting them through our words, actions, and influence, not just within school, but also within the wider community.
Promoting Our Values
The government defines British values as:
Democracy.
Rule of law.
Individual liberty.
Mutual respect.
Tolerance of those of different faiths.
At Shaw, we value the diverse ethnic backgrounds of all pupils and families and undertake a variety of events and lessons to celebrate these. We have found this approach to be enriching for all parties, as it teaches tolerance and respect for the differences in our community and the wider world. We actively challenge children, staff, and parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British values, including ‘extremist’ views.
As part of The White Horse Federation, we passionately believe that by working together, children have a higher quality of education, and that as colleagues, we will also benefit from and reap the rewards of a values-based organisation where no one is left behind.