Our Faith

 'Learning to make the world a better place through faith, hope and love.' This is our school strapline.  It underpins our core principles when guiding and shaping our pupils.

Staff work to ensure children have opportunities to reflect on all aspects of their learning and relationships in school and beyond, enabling them to celebrate what they have achieved every day, in order that develop self-belief and self-worth and because we believe they are a unique gift from God.

We believe that the school should provide a strong link between church and the community it serves. Our school provides the opportunity to be a valued part of a community that celebrates the Christian faith while being inclusive and respectful of all religions in our diverse community. 

We aim to develop a sense of spirituality and wonder in all children. School life is distinctively Christian within a broader spirituality, which encompasses all beliefs respected in our community.

 Religious Education is an integral part of our school. It is taught throughout the school from Nursery to Year 6.

As a Church of England School, we follow the Southwark Diocesan Scheme of Work. In addition, to learning about the beliefs, teachings, practices and lifestyles of Christianity, the children are taught about aspects of Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism throughout the school.

Religious Education at St John's has a high profile. The school uses a robust system of assessment. All RE assessments are carried out in line with other core subjects. The subject is monitored in line with other core subjects including learning walks, book looks, data drops, and pupil conferencing.

 Southwark Diocesan Board of Education

As well as exploring our values, Faith, Hope and Love in Collective Worship, St John's  has a set of collective worship themes which change every half term.

These are:

We explore these themes through stories, from the bible and other sources, pictures and poems.  There is always a chance for discussion and reflection.  We often have specialist guest speakers that deliver some of our worships, such as Spinnaker Trust. 

SIAMS Inspection

SIAMS inspection focuses on the effect that the Christian ethos of the church school has on the children and young people who attend it.

The principal objective of SIAMs inspection is to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a church school.

Towards this objective, inspectors seek answers to four key questions:-

• How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners?
• What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?
• How effective is the Religious Education? (in VA schools and academies)
• How effective are the leadership and management of the school as a church school?

The National Society's Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) framework is used in all Section 48 inspections of Church of England Schools and in the denominational inspection of academies.

 The Church of England

We are very lucky that our school sits next door to St John the Evangelist  Church. The school and church have a relationship, which expands more than 170 years!

 St John's Church  is a Church of England Parish Church in the Anglican Diocese of Southwark.

 Father Robert is the incumbent at St John's Church and he visits us regularly.  We really enjoy his collective worships over in the church, every Tuesday - they are fun! 

Father Robert is also a member of our Governing Body.

  St Johns' Church

 At SJAT, we believe that spirituality concerns a person’s relationship:

• with themselves

• with others,

• with God (or the transcendent)

• with nature and the environment

Pupils’ spiritual development is shown by their:

• Beliefs, religious or otherwise, which inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s feeling and values 7

• Sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them, including the intangible.

• Use of imagination and creativity in their learning

• Willingness to reflect on their experiences. 

At St John’s Angell Town CE Primary School (SJAT), we believe every child is a unique gift from God: “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven; it comes down from God”(James 1:17). The school’s vision is based upon a clearly articulated theological rationale: All children are loved by God, are individually unique and that the school has a mission to help each pupil to achieve their full potential. (Valuing all God’s children).

The Bible teaches us that we have been made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, all people are spiritual beings, with the capacity for relationship with God. This relationship is rooted in love, for ‘God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God lives in him.’ (1 John 4:16). The school has an ethos within which all pupils can flourish, respect others and be respected; accommodating difference and respecting the integrity of individuals.(See Valuing all God’s Children C of E 2017).

Spirituality Policy

At St. John’s Angell Primary School, we believe that courageous advocacy is a vital part of nurturing confident, compassionate, and socially aware students. Our school encourages children to use their voices to stand up for what is right, both within our local community and the wider world. We empower our students to become advocates for fairness, justice, and kindness, teaching them that even the smallest actions can make a big difference.

Children at SJAT learn to approach challenges with bravery and resilience, advocating for themselves and others. Through various projects, charity work, and classroom discussions, they explore issues like equality, environmental stewardship, and social justice. Our goal is to instill in them the belief that they are capable of creating positive change, now and in the future.

By fostering a sense of responsibility and empathy, we equip our pupils with the tools they need to become leaders who champion values of fairness, inclusion, and respect. At St. John’s Angell, we know that courageous advocacy starts early, and we are committed to supporting our students as they grow into the thoughtful, principled advocates of tomorrow.

Courageous Advocacy Statement

How do we define flourishing?

The word ‘flourishing’ is used extensively in this document. There are of course many ways to define

the concept and many domains from which to draw – for example, theology, virtue ethics, psychology and sociology – but in this case we continue to take our core biblical text as the promise that Jesus gives in John 10.10 – “I have come that you may have life in all

its fullness”. The Greek word that we translate as ‘life’ is the word ‘ZOE’ – one of a range of words that could be translated as ‘life’ in English. Through the word ZOE, Jesus offers us a broader, deeper, social, moral, cultural, relational, spiritual life that is far beyond whether we are simply alive or not. ZOE life is the full, abundant, broad, deep, rich sense of living together through all the ups and downs, twists and turns, joy, pain, elation, depression, dancing, weeping, singing and mourning. ‘Life in all its fullness’ is far less about what is written on our walls or websites than that which characterises children and adults’ daily experiences of our school communities – the very expectation of life, or life expectancy that we seek to offer the children and adults across our schools system.

In addition, we draw on a second key word from another language – ‘UBUNTU’ – this word, drawn from the Zulu language is best translated – ‘I am because we are’. It says that flourishing is never an individual pursuit, but a collective endeavour, released in relationship and communities that live well together. In an era where division and polarised culture wars seem to have become politically normative, this vision of flourishing together, not alone, is crucial for a flourishing schools system. Indeed, our hope is for an ecology of flourishing (both within and between the ‘levels’ of the sector that we outline in this document). This means children flourishing with other children, adults with other adults, schools with other schools – and also between each level where the interaction between children-adults, adults-schools, school trusts- dioceses etc. is fundamental to the flourishing of the system as a whole.

This is a rich field of thinking and practice, and to support further reflection and engagement in the core concept of flourishing, we offer a range of literature and research evidence in our ‘For further reading’ section at the end of this document.

Flourishing Schools Powerpoint Presentation

What do we mean by flourishing at SJAT?

At St. John’s Angell Primary School, we believe that prayer is a powerful way for children to connect with their faith, reflect on their experiences, and seek guidance in their daily lives. Prayer helps children develop a sense of peace, gratitude, and compassion, fostering spiritual growth and a deeper understanding of the world around them. By incorporating prayer into our school life, we encourage students to pause, reflect, and strengthen their relationship with God, while also building a foundation of values that guide their actions and interactions with others.

Morning Prayer

Lunchtime Prayer

End of School Day Prayer

Collective Worship Transcript