We are proud to be a church school that is part of the Oxford Diocese and our Christian distinctiveness stems from our vision rooted in these words from the Bible:
“All of us together are Christ’s body, each of us is a part of it.”
1 Corinthians 12.27
Our vision is to provide, for each and every child in the School, a loving, caring environment based on Christian principles, in which each individual can develop their full potential, educationally, morally and spiritually, and to provide the same quality of care and concern for all adults involved within our School community.
'One body, every person, growing together'
St Paul’s CofE Junior School is one body made up of every member of the School family. We flourish together when every single person in the family (through their unique identity and story) is encouraged and supported to learn, grow and blossom. Sometimes we grow because we get things right. Sometimes we grow because we deal well with the things we don’t get right. Always we learn best in an environment which is safe, nurturing and which celebrates our wonderful diversity of background and character, of gifts and ideas. This is true in every part of who we are - in the context of a Church of England School it feels especially important to say that it applies to everyone, whether they are Anglican, Christian, part of another faith or do not believe in God at all. Our Christian vision for the School is one of inclusion, openness and welcome.
We need each other, we learn from each other, we grow because of each other. A healthy body needs every part of it working well. For the School to be healthy, truly a place of welcome, safety and fun, we need everyone to feel safe and part of it.
We need every part of the body to feel valued. Only then can we be the family God calls us to be, where everyone is loved in the name of Jesus and where everyone is helped and encouraged to flourish in every way. One body, every person, growing together.
Our core values guide our actions and bind us together as a strong community:
- We care and we are kind.
- We have a voice and we listen to others.
- We are ready to learn.
- We encourage and we collaborate.
- We are determined and resilient.
- We embrace difference and diversity.
- We contribute positively to our community.
- We make our world a better place.
Our School Prayer grew from discussion with the pupils. The School Councillors, supported by Father Richard, based the prayer on our school logo of a fishing boat in which Jesus and his disciples sailed.