Our vision and associated values are theologically centred on the Bible narrative ‘The Good Shepherd and his sheep’ John 10:1-18
The story of the Good Shepherd and his sheep represents our school. In the story, Jesus assures his followers that they are his sheep, he will lay down his life for them, he will guide, protect and keep his sheep safe. He shows how he knows each and every one of his precious flock.
Jesus showed how he kept his flock safe from harm. We keep safe and nurture all members of our school family to be the best version of themselves so that they thrive, flourish and blossom, as a result of good mental health and wellbeing in a fellowship of love with God.
Jesus dedicated himself to his flock, without exception. Everyone is welcome in our St Barnabas family, we are fully inclusive without compromise; we welcome all and strive continuously to meet individual needs, supported by excellent role models, who have high aspirations for all, driven by Gospel values.
‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full’ John 10:10. Jesus wanted his sheep to live life to the full. At our school, each child will travel on their own learning journey pathway to achieve their full God given potential academically, socially, personally and spiritually. We have high expectations for all children and promote good mental health and wellbeing and positive relationships for all.
In this verse, Jesus says he has come ‘in order that you might have life- life in all its fullness’, it’s a reminder that it is possible for us to know a full life, in which we know the security of being in the hands of the good shepherd. People of faith will listen to him, because he is like the shepherd whose sheep know his voice. We believe that everyone in our school community deserves the very best, all are valued and all are loved.
The Bible verse from John 10:10 is particularly relevant to us as we seek to ensure that everyone in our community is able to thrive and flourish, whatever their need, ability or status. All members of our school family are deeply valued and cherished, and we believe that we achieve this by the clear ethos and values that underpin all we do, and all decisions made.
We instil the commitment that we will be loving and kind and care for each other, all members of the school family know that this is an expectation.
Jesus said ‘I have come that you may have life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10). He calls us to a full life in mind, body, heart and spirit. Therefore we believe the purpose of education is to nurture and enable every child to thrive and to be the person they are fully capable of being.
Our curriculum for life in all its fullness is designed to equip children to be curious and confident independent learners but also responsible, resilient and caring citizens in their community. As they leave St Barnabas, we want every child to be ready to take on the next steps in their journey to adulthood with a love of learning, positive attitudes and a rounded set of values and skills to guide them.
We recognise that the curriculum encompasses everything children experience at school. Whilst our curriculum will promote high standards and accelerate academic progress, it is also about uncovering and nurturing the God given talents within each child, developing core values and virtues, growth mindsets and essential skills for life. Learning is closely linked to our emotions, we learn best when we feel safe and happy, so at St Barnabas our curriculum is also about promoting happiness and fun!This enables every child to 'achieve great things through learning and growing together in a love-filled Christian family'.
Our Vision is for a school family who:
Wish to learn in a fun, vibrant and creative Christian environment
Follow the example of Jesus
Have high expectations and are ambitious to develop their God-given talents, achieving great things, spiritually, personally, academically and socially
Have initiative and take responsibility for their choices and their actions
Are respectful, thoughtful and sensitive
Are happy, successful and confident
Love to learn every day and show resilience in their learning
Vision and values in action
Our Gospel Values
At St Barnabas we are proud of our caring, Christian ethos, underpinned by the Christian values that permeate our teaching and learning and shape every member of our school family. Each week in our classes we focus on our Christian values and explore how they can change the way we live our daily lives. Our children earn values points for demonstrating our Christian and British Values. Our Heads and Deputies count up the Values Points each Wednesday and inform our class teachers. They then invite the winner's parents to our Celebration Worship and present the values winner with a certificate explaining how they have demonstrated our values and how they have been living life in all its fullness this week. We also encourage our children to bring in their awards for the 'great things' they have achieved outside of school and we present them with their awards on the proud podium.
Saint Barnabas was known as an encourager so we try to be like Saint Barnabas and encourage others. Our Worship Our Way (WOW) group conducted a survey and we all agreed that the values we feel express our school family and Barnabas are:
In the Bible Barnabas reminds us of our responsibilities as Christians to welcome, love and encourage in all we say and do.
Barnabas was one of the very earliest followers of Jesus and a leader of the early church. His story is told in the Acts of the Apostles and he is also mentioned in some of Paul’s letters. Originally called Joseph, he was given his new name of Barnabas by those who knew him well, it means ‘son of encouragement’. His new name certainly fits what we know of his character and actions, as a school we use him as inspiration every day.
Barnabas was generous and was willing to give from the heart and until it hurt
We first hear of Barnabas in the New Testament due to his simple act of stewardship and sharing. He sold land he owned and donates the proceeds to the church to be used to support the poor.
Barnabas was courageous in God’s service
When Paul came to Jerusalem after his conversion, most of the Christians there wanted nothing to do with him for they had known him as a persecutor of Christians. But Barnabas, guided by God was willing to take a calculated risk on Paul and showed him friendship and forgiveness. He sought Paul out, spoke with him, and having weighed him up, vouched for him.
We owe much of our New Testament to the work of Paul and in his preaching and evangelism he was used by God in the creation of many of the early Christian communities. Imagine if Barnabas had not been willing to obey God’s call?
Barnabas was generous and compassionate
Later, Paul and Barnabas travelled far and wide, sharing the good news of God’s love in Jesus.On one journey they took a young man called Mark with them. This travelling ministry was tough and dangerous; they literally were risking their lives. Part way, Mark turned back.
When Paul and Barnabas were about to set out again, Barnabas suggested taking Mark along again. Paul was against it, saying that Mark was not dependable. But Barnabas wanted to trust Mark and give him a second chance, and so he and Mark went off on one journey, while Paul took Silas and went on another.
Apparently Mark responded well to the trust given him by Barnabas, the "son of encouragement," since we find that Paul recognises the change in Mark and later speaks of him as a valuable assistant.
Barnabas rejoiced in what God did in and through other people
Barnabas, who became one of the leaders of the Church was asked to help in the growth of a new congregation in Antioch. Barnabas called Paul over to help in this work at Antioch and both he and Paul grew in their faith and ministry. And the Church grew too: a great many people became Christians – indeed it was here at Antioch that the followers of Jesus were first called ‘Christians’, all down to Barnabas' service to God.
Born in Cyprus, Barnabas also died there in AD 61 when he was martyred for his faith. He stayed faithful and willing to give everything right to the end
We celebrate his life every year on St Barnabas Day on the 11th June in the Summer term.
The DfE have recently reinforced the need “to create and enforce a clear and rigorous expectation on all schools to promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs.”
The Government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy; it was reiterated in 2014. At St Barnabas we promote these values in the following ways:
Democracy
Democracy is embedded throughout our school curriculum. Children are always listened to by adults and are taught to listen carefully to each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. Regular pupil questionnaires ensure that everyone has a ‘voice’. Annual elections take place for Sports Leaders, Heads and Deputies and School Council representatives, reflecting the British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action. See our Smart School Councils page for further information.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, is consistently reinforced throughout the regular school day and also through planned activities and worships. At the beginning of each school year the children in each class collaboratively create the class rules they want to see upheld throughout the year and they are referred to regularly. They ensure that ever class member is able to learn in a safe and ordered environment. Clear, consistent consequences and reward systems are in place to promote positive behaviour.
Within class lessons and worships, children are taught the value and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities involved and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Fire and Police services, help reinforce this message.
In PE, the importance of rules and fair play is highlighted and enables the children to understand the need for rules beyond the immediate school context, as well as the importance of exercise as a healthy activity.
Our curriculum has been carefully designed so children develop skills that enable them to understand the way rules and laws were developed at specific times in history and how they reflected the values of the period. Our RE units of work allow children to learn about the fundamental rules and beliefs of all the major religions and focus on common areas and differences within them. Our Year 6 class visit the Houses of Parliament to learn all about democracy and how laws are created.
We educate and provide boundaries for children to make choices safely, through the provision of a safe environment and inspiring education, and actively encourage them to do so. Our children are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely; examples of this can be clearly seen in our online safety and P.S.H.E. lessons. Whether it is through choice of story book, of how they record, of participation in our numerous extra-curricular activities etc, our children are given freedom of speech and the opportunity to make choices. Children have key roles and responsibilities in school, such as Play Leaders, Sports Leaders, Wellbeing Warriors, school councillors and Heads and Deputy Head boys and girls.
Our Head and Deputy Head Boys and Girls
Our Sports Leaders
Our Wellbeing Warriors
Our Worship Our Way (WOW) Group
Mutual respect is embedded in all that we do at St Barnabas and respect is one of our key gospel values. The children know and understand that it is expected and imperative that respect is shown to everyone, whatever differences we may have, and to everything, however big or small. Children learn that their behaviour has an effect on their own rights and an impact on others. This value is woven into our worships as well as through the everyday curriculum planning. Children also take ownership of classroom rules at the start of each academic year. The core value of respect at St Barnabas underpins our work every day both in and out of the classroom.
In class, children often take part in collaborative work where they have to work closely with others. They debate philosophical ‘Big Questions’, which encourage them to think for themselves, listen, respect the views of others and recognise that, for some questions, there are no clear cut answers. Additional support is provided for individual pupils by teaching assistants and this helps develop self-esteem and respect for others.
We place a strong emphasis on celebrating diversity in all its forms at St Barnabas. Our broad and balanced RE curriculum enables children to learn about and respect the beliefs of those from different religions. Learning about other beliefs and religions is further embedded though our worships across the year. Our curriculum actively plans for pupils to visit religious buildings to enhance their understanding of different faiths and beliefs through first-hand experiences. These include trips to a Hindu temple, a Sikh Gurdwara and the local Christian churches. Members of different faiths or religions are also encouraged to visit our school and share their knowledge to enhance learning within classes and the school. We also link with another local school of a different faith. Beliefs, traditions and customs from around the world are studied in topics and during themed weeks.
We celebrate the similarities and differences between each other. Worships and discussions involving prejudices and prejudice-based bullying are delivered and supported by learning in RE and PSHE. Our children, staff and our community members are expected to be aware of, and actively discourage sexual, racial, gender or disability discrimination, both in school and the wider world. We celebrate the positive contributions that all people can make to our school and global community.
At St Barnabas, we will actively challenge children, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values, including ‘extremist’ views. All staff have up-to-date training in the ‘Prevent’ agenda; part of the Home Office’s Counter Terrorism Strategy.
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