- "Serve one another humbly in love" Galatians 5:13b
“Serve one another humbly in love.”
Galatians 5:13b
Charles Kingsley’s CE Primary School has been at the heart of St Mary’s Church and the community of Eversley for 170 years.
Saint Mary serves as the patron saint of all human beings, watching over them with motherly care and love due to her role as the mother of Jesus. Mary is respected and honoured as a spiritual mother to people of many faiths, including Muslim and Jewish.
Our founder Rev’d Charles Kingsley respected the importance of a Christian education so highly, that he built our school. Our work today is a living testimony to this man’s vision for education for all. We are determined to remain forward thinking whilst respecting the trust deed of our founder.
Rev’d Charles Kingsley saw the natural world as the handiwork of God and taught children in his care to love and respect the natural world. In 1874 Kingsley undertook a lecture tour of North America with his daughter Rose as companion. His health deteriorated during this trip from which he never recovered. After his death, Rose found a fir cone which they had collected from a giant Sequoia tree in the western United States. She grew two saplings from the seeds of this cone and planted one in the churchyard, and the other on the Mount (the hill opposite the Rectory).
Our school foundation is built on the love of a mother and love for the natural world that God created.
“Serve one another humbly in love.” Galatians 5:13b
Our Vision at Charles Kingsley’s CE Primary School is rooted in Paul's teachings of the "Fruit of the Spirit" in Galatians 5. It underpins all that we do in school allowing us to provide strong roots, just like the Sequoia enabling children to flourish as confident, successful learners leading happy, fruitful lives, in God’s ever-changing world.
It allows us to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality within the supportive structure of Christian belief and practice.
Charles Kingsley’s CE Primary School is a church school and at its heart are the values of our Christian foundation. We believe that learning and growing in a caring Christian environment will strengthen the values, principles and personal beliefs of our pupils, equipping them for living life in the 21st Century.
In establishing their own journey towards a personal faith, we will equip our pupils with the courage and strength to defend their beliefs whilst showing tolerance and respect for others.
We understand and do not underestimate the challenges awaiting our pupils growing up in a secular and unsettled society. Through a curriculum rich in discussion and a passion for enquiring minds, we aim to develop a readiness to challenge all that would constrain the human spirit.
We respect that our children may never come to a life of faith, but we believe that by nurturing them in an environment where Christian Values are promoted and modelled they will grow up as confident citizens of the future, who are able to contribute to a legacy for future generations.
Our values are important because they help us to grow and develop. They help us to create the future we want to experience. Every individual in school is involved in making hundreds of decisions every day. The decisions we make reflect our school values and beliefs.
The Bible teaches us that Jesus’ leadership was founded on serving others humbly in love. Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and ultimately died on the cross for others. Our core school value of RESPECT is linked to serving one another humbly and in love.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T
R
| Building relationships based on love, trust, humility and care. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31
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E
| Appreciating everyone, however different they may be. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28
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S | Learning self-respect, as we recognise we are each unique creations of God. Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart. Jeremiah 1:15
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P
| Developing hope and aspiration with the PROMISE to use our God-given gifts to shape our journey. “For I know the plans I have for you” Jeremiah 29:11
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E | Respecting our ENVIRONMENT and having gratitude for what God created. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth Genesis 1:1
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C
| Valuing our COMMUNITY, as we live and learn together. "Live in harmony with one another. Romans 12:16
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T
| THINKING CREATIVELY as we question, discuss, create, explore and develop wisdom. "Blessed are those who find wisdom." Proverbs 3:13 |
SCHOOL AIMS:
Our aims draw on the four elements of the Church of England Vision for Education:
Educating for wisdom, knowledge and skills
Educating for hope and aspiration
Educating for community and living well together
Educating for dignity and respect
LIFELONG LEARNERS:
Train up a child in the way he should go: even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6
To provide a curriculum which inspires children who love learning; demonstrate lively, enquiring minds; are prepared to take risks; support each other in learning from failure; and celebrate success together. For children to grow wisdom, and develop knowledge and skills.
PERSONAL EXCELLENCE:
But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. 2 Peter 3:18
To enable children to look to the future with hope and aspiration, supporting them through difficult times and instilling in them the belief that tomorrow is always a new day and that with perseverance we can achieve. To develop a school community enveloped in our Christian ethos which supports all members regardless of race, gender, special educational needs or disabilities, to achieve their full potential.
GLOBAL FUTURES:
For I know the plans I have for you, declare the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
To enable children to understand the part they play in the local and worldwide community. To enable children to understand that their relationships with others are key to success in all aspects of life and support how we live well together. To ensure children have an appreciation of and the courage to make the most of the possibilities and opportunities which await them as participating global citizens of the future.
VALUES FOR LIFE:
For with God nothing shall be impossible. Luke 1:37
To support all community members to respect themselves, others and the world around them. To support children in being reflective; reflecting critically on both their own and others’ values, reinforcing or amending their views as life experiences offer new perspectives; having the courage and humility to be open to the ideas of others. To enable children to develop a personal set of beliefs and values which will guide their thoughts and actions in life supporting them to have the courage to live by one’s own beliefs and stand up in defence of personal truths in the face of external pressure.