Our Vision
Through respect, kindness, joy, wisdom and perseverance, we encourage each other to
engage with our world and transform our future. Believing in ourselves. Believing in each other.’
Believing in ourselves. Believing in each other.
At St James we instil confidence in our children. We encourage and inspire them to try new things, take calculated risks and push themselves so that they develop a strong belief in themselves, their strengths and their ability to overcome challenges. Believing in each other is equally important. At St James we have strong, supportive relationships amongst staff and pupils. We support and encourage one another which is reflected in our positive, inclusive and collaborative learning environment.
Our school vision is rooted in 1 Thessalonians 5:11
'Encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are now doing.’
Our Mission
To nurture and develop our children's confidence and self belief in an inclusive, supportive and Christian community.
Our Values
Our vision is grounded in our core values of respect, wisdom, kindness, joy and perseverance.
Respect is at the heart of everything we do. Every child is respected for who they are, regardless of their background, abilities or interests. A respectful environment encourages children to be confident in themselves and to treat people with kindness and empathy.
Wisdom is more than just academic knowledge. A well rounded education extends beyond this and includes critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills. These are important skills for life. The work we do is the foundations for our children to grow up to be wise and informed global citizens who contribute positively to their communities.
Kindness is contagious. It is important that our pupils and staff feel valued and appreciated. Acts of kindness, empathy and friendships make a big difference and we encourage everyone at St James to practice these.
Joy is essential to learning and we believe that happy children are more engaged and motivated to learn. We strive to communicate a learning environment that fosters joy and encourages our pupils to find pleasure in learning.
Perseverance is an essential trait for success. The ability to keep working towards a goal despite challenges is critical for personal growth. We encourage our children to see mistakes as an opportunity to learn and improve and we provide a supportive learning environment for them that fosters resilience and determination. We celebrate effort and willingness, recognising that success often comes from hard work and persistence.
We place great importance on all of our school community understanding and living by our vision and values.
Through respect, kindness, joy, wisdom and perseverance we encourage each other to engage with our world and transform our future.
Believing in ourselves. Believing in each other.
The theological, Christian roots of our vision
We chose the Bible verse - 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 'Encourage one another and build each other up, just as you are now doing.’ to clearly express and root our vision. It was chosen after close collaboration with the school staff, governors and the church.
In this verse, Paul encourages the Thessalonians to believe in the innate worth of each person and trust in the salvation that can come through Jesus Christ. Paul reminds all to encourage each other, even in the face of worry or darkness. The verse reminds Christians to be more like Jesus.
We can believe in ourselves and value each other because we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27) and because God loves us and died for us so that we could ‘live together with him’ – have life in its fulness. The previous section of the Thessalonians verse is “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore, encourage one another and build each otherup, just as you are now doing.” So our belief in the innate worth of each person – which encourages and empowers us, and calls us to action - is deeply Christian (as well as being rooted in an inclusive understanding of human rights). Our emphasis on building a supportive community, through believing in each other, reflects many other Bible teachings, such as, John 13:34-35 34: “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
