Vision and Values

"You are the light of the world. A city standing upon a hill cannot be hidden. Nobody lights a candle and puts it under a bucket. They put it upon a candlestick, and it shines for everyone who is in the house. In the same way, let your light shine in front of people, so that they might see the good things you do and give praise to your Father, who is in heaven." Matthew 5.14-5.16

Vision Statement

Horspath Church of England Primary School is resolute in providing the best educational opportunities for all individuals in its care. Our vision is to provide a happy, loving and nurturing environment where all are valued and recognise their gifts, have the confidence to strive for excellence and make outstanding progress, and can develop and fulfil their hopes and aspirations so they may shine as lights in the world. We encourage all members of the school community to lead by good example and inspire others; to stand up for what is right, and offer help to all; to be persevering, and to make a positive difference to the world. Through our values of responsibility, courage, kindness and justice our vision is brought to life in the school community.

Our four Christian values are:

• Responsibility - taking ownership for our learning, choices and actions

• Courage - putting aside fear and persevering even when things are hard

• Kindness - showing care and offering help to others even if they do not offer it to you

• Justice - standing up for what is right and making a positive difference in the world                 Please click the links for home discussion examples and below for further details on our vision, values and spirituality. 

Horspath Vision, Values and Spirituality Statement. 

British Values

At Horspath, we promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.  Please follow the header links to see some examples of our work linked to British Values. 

Democracy

We teach children how they can influence decision-making through the democratic process and encourage pupils to become involved in decision-making, ensuring that children have a voice in school.

Children have many opportunities for their voice to be heard.  We have a School Council which meets regularly to discuss issues raised in class council meetings.  The council has a ‘real’ voice and is able to genuinely effect change within the school.  Two School Council members for each class within the school are voted in by the children in that class.

Eco council are also voted for by their class.  These children are selected because they want to make a difference to our environment and they give their views before voting takes place.

The Rule of Law

The importance of Laws, whether they be those that ensure the smooth day-to-day running of the class, the school, the community or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout the school day and through daily collective worship.  Pupils are taught the values and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken.  Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service help reinforce this message within the school.

Individual Liberty

At Horspath, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment.  As a school we teach and provide boundaries for our children to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and an empowering curriculum.  Children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are taught how to exercise these safely, for example through our E-Safety, PHSE and RE lessons.  Whether it is through a choice of learning challenge, of how they record, or participation in our range of extra-curricular clubs and opportunities, pupils are given the freedom to and are actively encouraged to make choices.

Mutual Respect

Children learn that their behaviours have an effect on their own rights and those of others and that all members of the school community should treat each other with respect, learning to disagree in a respectful way.  Together, our School Vision and Values of Kindness, courage, responsibility and justice, form the basis of our whole school ethos.  Our work on self regulation and restorative conversations support the development of mutual respect towards others. 

Tolerance of those of Different Faiths and Beliefs

Horspath is a Church of England School.  We place a great emphasis on promoting diversity with the children.  Given our inclusive nature, our pupils are extremely tolerant and respectful of people from different backgrounds, especially people with disabilities, learning difficulties or LGBT.  Collective worship is regularly planned to include stories and celebrations from a variety of faiths and cultures.  Our RE and PSHE teaching reinforce these. Members of different faiths or religions are encouraged to share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school.

At Horspath, we will actively challenge pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to British Values, including ‘extremist’ views.

St Giles’ Church

We are fortunate to have strong links with St Giles’ Church, which means that special events such as the Nativity Play and the Leavers’ Service can take place there. St Giles’ is one of the churches in the Benefice of Garsington, Cuddesdon and Horspath. The Reverend Tom Wallis is Vicar of the Benefice and visits the school each week to lead worship.