Worship

Our Christian ethos pervades every aspect of school life and there is a commitment by the Headteacher, staff and Governors towards maintaining and developing this.

We create an environment where those with Christian faith are encouraged to grow. For those of other faiths, or those who choose not to have a faith, we allow for a good and positive experience of Christianity, so that they may understand,appreciate and respect the Christian faith.

Our Mission Statement states our commitment to the whole child, further developed by our Ethos statement composed in partnership with the Ministry team. Our policies are rooted in Christian values.

Students respond well to Collective worship and are actively engaged with the Clergy team in planning and evaluating assemblies. There are opportunities for students to lead and contribute to acts of worship.

Links with local churches are very strong and the school contributes to the work of the Diocese.

Eight conditions that affect aspirations:

Belonging
We, who are many form one body, each member belongs to all the others. We each have different gifts… (Romans 12.4-8)
The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, all; though all its parts are many they form one body. (1Corinthians 12.12)
As a Christian school we are committed to fostering our Christian sense of community, appreciating that each of us is a unique and valuable person, loved by God, but with different gifts, experiences and aspirations that complement each other and make the community complete.

Heroes
“Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience. Let peace rule in our hearts.” (Colossians 3.12ff)
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.” (Galatians 5.22-23)
The Christian idea of a hero may differ from the image portrayed to young people in the media. We are committed to the image of hero that values a self confidence that is shown in considering the needs of others and a true humility. For inspiration we look to those “saints” in the Christian and other faiths who have called on their experience of God to achieve great things.

Holocaust Memorial Service 2007

Sense of Accomplishment
“If we think we are something when we are nothing we deceive ourselves. We each need to test our own actions. Then we can take pride in ourselves, without comparing ourselves to others.” (Galatians 6.2-4)
Being honest in recognising our achievements and the achievements of others gives value to each of us and encourages growth and self-confidence. It allows each of us to become the person we aspire to be - or that God wants us to be.

Fun and Excitement
“I came that you should have life and life in abundance” (John 10.10)
“The glory of God is a human fully alive”. St Iranaeus
“You will not begin to live until you have found something to die for.” (Anon)
“Live each day as if it were thy last.”
Our Christian ethos thrives on living each moment to the full, continually aware of the goodness, fun and excitement in life, feeling a sense of awe and wonder of life itself, of being “fully human and fully alive”, experiencing life through senses and feelings, both good and bad and giving thanks to God for it all. It is what Jean Pierre de Causade called appreciating “the holiness of the present moment” and St Ignatius called the state of total awareness.

Curiosity and Creativity
“The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction (The Wisdom of Solomon)
“Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you will find…for everyone who asks will receive and everyone who seeks will find.” (Matthew 7.7)
Learning, questioning, seeking are the some of the qualities of a lively spiritual mind. As Christians we particularly encourage not only the “What?” and “How?” questions but especially the “Why?” which brings us to the real questions and issues of life itself.
Spirit of Adventure
“You were called to be free..” (Galatians 5.13)
“Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on towards the goal to win the prize…” (Philippians 3.13-14)
The Christian ethos gives confidence to grasp the opportunities that life provides with a sound set a values that enables good decision making. These values can be found in Christian teaching and are the basis of much of British life and citizenship.

Leadership and Responsibility
“I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you” (Jesus to his disciples after he had washed their feet - John 13)
“Whoever among you wants to become great must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be your slave” (Matthew 20.26-27)
“Do to others as you would have done to you.” (Matthew 7.7)
Servant leadership is the hallmark of Christian community life and has become an attribute of the most successful modern businesses. As students are encouraged to take on new challenges they learn the need to recognise that in leading others they are also serving them. The great example is in the life of Jesus.

Dedication of the new school cross

Confidence to take action
“There is nothing I cannot do with the help of the one who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4.13)
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” (Ps18)
The Christian ethos encourages students recognise areas of need and to take action, prepared to take risks, and think things through with sound ethical principles, confident in their own abilities and the abilities of others - to be prepared to “have a go.” It gives a source of strength, inspiration and support in God, and through prayer, and through the words of the Bible.

"Students can talk about acts of worship that they have enjoyed and use times of reflection seriously "

"We seek to nourish, sustain and challenge individual spiritual development."

Our school is a caring and co-operative community - "SMSC is Good" Ofsted 2008.

Links:
Diocese of Salisbury
The official site, with general information, news, event listings, and resources for clergy and parishes.
www.salisburyanglican.org.uk/

SALED
Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education's web site.
www.saled.org/