Our vision that all members of our community have an opportunity to ‘let your light shine’ is key to everything we do in school. We have strong relationships with St George’s Church and the parish of Upper Stour.
The vicar and foundation governors work closely with the headteacher, in serving and supporting the local community and developing the spiritual and pastoral development of the children and staff. The importance of quality relationships within our community is an essential aspect of our Christian vision and values.
Worship at St George’s is important in fulfilling our vision for all members of our community. Key Christian festivals such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter are all celebrated in church along with regular opportunities to hold our weekly worships in church. Once a term we also hold our Achievement Assembly in church.
We regularly welcome our local clergy and parishioners into school to support our R.E. curriculum and lead Collective Worship. We also enjoy welcoming Open the Book each week.
Collective Worship
Our collective worship is an expression of our school Christian vision of offering a community, with a sense of belonging where everyone is known and loved by God; it is inclusive, invitational and inspiring. It is a time for worship, celebration, prayer, stillness and reflection. It is an opportunity, without compulsion for all pupils and adults to grow spiritually, rejoicing in what makes each one of us and our school special. It is a time for contemplation and for seeking to understand our roles and responsibilities in the school community, it is a time for praising God, for asking for his help and inviting Him to be active in the life of our school.
Worship is both planned and spontaneous. There is dedicated time for daily worship both as a whole school team in church and in school, and class team.
Every week, we share the 'Picture News' with children in a special weekly Key Stage assembly, using the excellent Picture News resources and images. The weekly big picture is also displayed prominently in school.
The discussion prompted by Picture News also underpins the development of oracy skills across school, through planned opportunities to develop confidence in speaking, debating and expressing opinions in both formal and informal contexts.
Picture News is instrumental in supporting the work we do in school on British Values. It supports our children in encountering and considering the key issues of the day in a planned and age-appropriate way. It also supports their developing understanding of Protected Characteristics and the UN Rights of the Child.