What it means to us to be a Church School

Growing together in love and peace, with courage, trust and friendship.

Matthew (7:12): “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.”

Rooted in our Christian foundation, our vision and values underpin our interactions with each other and with the wider world. We have a commitment to celebrate who we are now, and to try and become more, bringing value to the communities we live in, happiness and compassion to ourselves and others and peace in God's world.

We are proud to be a Church School, serving our community and building strong links with Winchester Diocese and our local churches.

Our school has five core Christian Values: love, peace, courage, trust and friendship. These values were chosen by children, staff, parents and governors and are a golden thread which runs throughout all of our work, relationships and interactions. The values were chosen to be relevant to all; they can be taught about using stories from the Bible but can also be found in the teachings of all World faiths and in many secular stories too.

Opportunities for children to develop a sense of spirituality, identifying moments and associated feelings where they experience awe and wonder are planned in and captured across their time at school. Children are encouraged and supported to notice these moments, relating them to themselves, their interactions with others and the natural world, to help them know themselves better and understand their place in the world, celebrating and respecting their own beliefs and those of others.

As a church school we celebrate the major festivals of the Christian faith and mark Christmas, Easter and Harvest with community celebrations that take place in school or in our nearby churches Holy Trinity and St Bartholomew's. Where possible we take part in schools events promoted by the Winchester Diocese Education Team. These have included making links with schools in Rwanda, visiting Winchester Cathedral, taking part in the Diocesan Leavers' Services and writing prayers to be used in literature linked to the appointment of the Bishop of Winchester.

At St Bede children become involved in planning, leading and reviewing our approach to Collective Worship (assemblies) we also have a number of 'Kindness Ambassadors', 'Equalities and Rights Advocates' and learning council reps who plan and lead projects across our immediate and wider community that benefit others and support those in need. Recent projects have included writing a kindness prayer used in school and class worship, supporting the work of the Community Food Pantry, handing out Christmas Cards in Winchester City Centre, providing Christmas cards for children spending Christmas in hospital at the Royal Hampshire County Hospital, and distributing paper flowers in the city centre as a sign of joy and hope.

Every child and adult who is a part of our St Bede community is valued for who they are and for the beliefs they hold. Everyone is encouraged and supported to show respect and understanding to others, celebrating our similarities and our differences. We strive to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging, keen to learn from and about each other so that we can all keep 'Growing together'.