Theological Rationale
As a Church of England Primary School, we place faith at the heart of all we do.
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Our Vision
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The whole school community journeys together to grow physically, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually, so that everyone can fulfil their unique potential. We strive to preserve the wonder of childhood, whilst ensuring our pupils are future ready and understand that every single one of them has a unique part in our school community.
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Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-6)
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The Parable of the Lost Sheep is central to our Christian Vision.
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Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, O‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ Luke 15:3-6
We teach our pupils that:
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Jesus reminds us in this parable that every one of us is so precious to Him! He loves us so much and He will never give up on us, no matter what!
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He leaves the ninety-nine sheep that are safe to go to find that one lost little sheep because that sheep is so important to Him, just like each of us!
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Sometimes we can be a bit like that lost sheep and feel far away from God but remember, He is our good shepherd and He will keep searching for us and calling us back into His arms until He finds us! He will celebrate every time we come back to Him! Just like how He rejoices when He finds that little lost sheep! That’s how much He loves each of us! Isn’t that wonderful news?
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Each class has a black sheep knitted toy, which they bring along to collective worship. This represents the importance of every class and person in our school as we can only begin our worship when everyone is present. The choice of black sheep derives from the local black sheep farming community.
Hooton Pagnell has a history of agriculture, including on the very land where the school now stands. The scenic outdoor areas of school continue to be surrounded by beautiful landscape and farming land. It is thought that no visit to Hooton Pagnell is complete without seeing the flock of black sheep, usually found grazing in the cricket field. The original flock were brought from St Kilda's, an island in the Outer Hebrides, and their wool is woven into a very durable suiting.
Our Christian Pathways
Our Christian Pathways are an integral part of our school vision and are key attributes that we believe will help all at Hooton Pagnell C of E Primary to flourish now and in the future.
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Our vision of excellence and following our Christian pathways are at the centre of all that we do at Hooton Pagnell Primary school. They underpin our teaching and learning within which we are constantly ‘Preparing Pupils to Flourish in their Future’. As a Church of England primary school, we are passionate about preparing our children for an undetermined future, by equipping them with life-long, transferable skills and knowledge within a strong Christian context: ‘Show me your ways, Lord. Teach me your paths.’ Psalm 25:4
Our Christian Pathways have been an integral part of our school vision and ethos for a number of years. They were decided as part of a working party group of teachers, parents, governors and children and throughout the years have grown and evolved to underpin all that we do. In creating our Christian Pathways, we recognised the great need for them to be rooted in biblical teaching. We want to help children understand what these pathways mean for us as people in an ever changing world and how Jesus' teaching around these pathways can help us to be valued members of society.
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As a Church of England School, our Christian Pathways underpin all that we do. Each half term we focus on a specific value in order to gain a better understanding of how these pathways impact the way that we live. The pathways are displayed around our school and in all of our classrooms and are regularly referred to, in order to help the children fully understand what they mean and how they link to their own lives. Our Collective Worships link closely to the value of the half term and provide further opportunity for learning, reflection and application.
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Our pathways are the foundations of our behaviour policy, and we use them to talk to the children about their actions, to help them understand consequences. This then helps them to make changes and choices to ensure they are following our pathways within school and in their own lives at home.
Our Classes
At Hooton Pagnell, all of our classes have unique names, which come along with a set of traits that we aim to instil in our pupils. Along with this, our classes each have their own Bible Story, which helps to teach and remind the pupils about the skills and traits we recognise in their class.
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Our Calendar of Christian Pathways
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The Parable of the Lost Sheep forms the basis of our collective worship and is readdressed throughout the year. In addition, each half term, we look specifically at one of our pathways, drawing on other bible stories, the lives of significant individuals, the pathway in other religions and secular stories.
Christian Pathways Awards
We celebrate each value with a special award ceremony every half term. One child from each class is nominated by their peers to receive the award for the focus value. Their parents are invited to attend, and the whole school community gathers to celebrate the great achievements of the half term.
Collective Worship
At Hooton Pagnell C of E Primary School, Collective Worship takes place daily (three times as a whole school, and twice, more age-focussed in class) and is an important part of our school day. We follow the church calendar and display the appropriate coloured cloth in line with the time of year within the church calendar. We use a range of materials to support our collective worship. Mrs Thorpe, with the support of our church visitors (Mark Reynolds And George Clamp), is journeying through the Bible within the collective worships that she leads, whilst other teachers in school focus on themes that follow both our Christian Pathways as well as events in the church calendar (e.g. Christmas, Easter, Pentecost etc,). Each time of worship is rooted in biblical teaching, significant others, other world religions and secular stories which allows children to learn, reflect and respond.
We aim for collective worship to be creative and leaders plan to use story, drama, poetry, illustrations, music etc. Each time of collective worship begins with the lighting of our candle which represents Jesus’ light in the world and a time for reflection. The Lord’s Prayer is also said. We encourage a range of worship leaders including teachers, pupils and external visitors.
Daily collective worship offers a time of reflection and prayer where children and adults are able to respond as they wish and are prompted to consider how worship impacts their lives. Whole school worship spaces provide quiet areas for children and staff to reflect and talk to God.
Church Services
We have a very special relationship with our local Church, All Saints, which we visit regularly.
Throughout the year we are able to join in worship at All Saints Church in our village of Hooton Pagnell. All Saints church is known to have been in existence in 1089. We join together with members of the community, parents, teachers and pupils to celebrate significant times of year, such as Harvest, Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.
Daily Reflection and Prayer
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Throughout all that we do at Hooton Pagnell C of E, we encourage the children to be reflective; this is a golden thread throughout our curriculum. We reflect on both ourselves and the wonder of the world around us.
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Prayer is an important part of daily life at our school. It is a time to be closer to God. It is a time for us to express our thoughts and feelings and to talk to and listen to God. We have our own school prayers which we say together, but also encourage children to have their own prayers.
In our school, we have a several Reflection Areas. Children are able to access these to think and pray. They are spaces for quiet and calm. Throughout the curriculum, children are also encouraged to reflect on what they have learnt and think about how it makes them feel, or how it has changed their views. These may also prompt further questions and opportunities to wonder and dig deeper.
Character Development
Preparing Pupils to Flourish in their Future
‘Show me your ways, Lord. Teach me your paths.’ Psalm 25:4
We value each child individually and want to help them recognise their great potential. We endeavour to help stretch them spiritually, morally, intellectually, imaginatively and actively. We believe that at Hooton Pagnell C of E Primary School, we have a range of opportunities and experiences that allow us to do this.
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We pride ourselves in offering a safe and welcoming place for all pupils. We are fortunate to know each child as an individual and be able to support and equip each and every child for success. Children in our care are taught vital life skills, which help them to overcome barriers and make positive choices.
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Our Celebration and Achievement Collective Worships, alongside our half-termly Christian Pathways Awards, allows us to celebrate children who have made positive choices and have consistently demonstrated our Christian Pathways.
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Our PSHE curriculum is a key lever into exploring children's aspirations more deeply. In our promise to Prepare Pupils to Flourish in their Future, we aim to have opportunities, such as career information sessions, where members of our community are able to come and share their skills and professions and children can engage in dialogue with professionals to find out more and extend their hopes further.
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Children at Hooton Pagnell C of E Primary School are encouraged to become active citizens and ambassadors for the school through joining one of our school committees (school council, friendship ambassadors etc). Their voices are heard and they lead meetings, initiate new projects and disseminate ideas, taking feedback from their class. This is a means of empowering them to become the person that God created them to be and a good citizen of their community.
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As a school we offer a range of extra-curricular activities which broaden children’s opportunities and aid in developing their aspirations. These clubs range from sports clubs to choir, crafty-art and mindfulness.
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To develop our understanding of our Christian vision and pathways further, we endeavour to support and learn about a range of charities throughout the year. We want show other that everyone is able to succeed with support: ‘Show me your ways, Lord. Teach me your paths.’ Psalm 25:4. Over the past few years we have supported the people in Ukraine, local foodbanks and the ‘Operation Christmas Child’ project. Previously, children have worked as a class to provide items for and to create shoeboxes to provide gifts for children in need around the world at Christmas and this is something that we aim to revisit for Christmas 2023. This is evidence of our children wanting to make a difference and the realisation that they are able to positively impact on the lives of others. This year, following our school council will be researching a local charity that they would like to support. We also support a range of other charities throughout the year such as Children in Need, The British Legion Poppy Appeal, ‘Save the Children’ through Christmas Jumper Day; Anti-Bullying Alliance and Comic Relief.
