Valuing All God's Children
Jesus gave us the tools and examples of how to live as a community. We set the highest expectations for behaviour and have an ethos of inclusivity and respect. We consider all of our pupils to be caring, courteous and polite and have a respect for our school community and beyond – no one is ever left behind.
Gracious God,
in your mercy and for your glory,
renew us, reshape us, revive us –
with generous faith, courageous hope and life-giving love –
that, in transformed lives through growing church and building community,
we may see your Kingdom come and be good news for all.
Amen.
Click here for Church SIAMS Report October 2019
Click here for a quick link to the diocesan website
Personal development, particularly in relation to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is a key element of education.
The purpose of education is to foster personal growth in order to help realise human potential. The whole of our curriculum at Netherseal St.Peter's Church of England School supports this aim. We work hard to enrich and develop the religious character of the school, enabling all pupils to develop spiritually, socially, intellectually and emotionally, linking with the Church of England's desire for education for the whole person enabling 'life in its fullness' (John 10:10).
We provide a caring, stimulating and supportive environment where pupils, parents and staff feel safe, secure and valued. We help all recognise, develop and appreciate their God-given gifts and talents. We achieve this by learning together, playing together and praying together. 'Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.' (Matthew 5:16)
Leadership has a very firm commitment to maintaining the school's strong Christian character and we continue to maintain and develop an active and affirming relationship with the local Church.
Reverend Derek regularly supports the school, delivering collective worship in school or in church each half term, and we celebrate Harvest, Easter and Christmas in church with our parents. Craft workshops organised by the church are well-attended and the children often provide work for display in church at key times, for example the Christmas Tree Festival and patronal celebrations.
Derby Diocesan Board of Education
Click here for The Church of England Statement of Entitlement
Click here for our Religious Education page
Click here for our Learning for Life (including RSHE and mental wellbeing) page
Derby and Derbyshire agreed RE syllabus
Click here for our Worship Policy
Click here for our SMSC Policy
Click here for our Worship Plan 2023-2024
We believe that worship actively promotes spiritual development and enriches the experiences of all pupils. Collective worship at Netherseal St.Peter's encompasses all aspects of school life and gives our pupils an awareness of themselves as individuals and groups within the school and wider community, helping them to understand the beliefs and feelings of other people in everyday situations. It develops the feeling of belonging, which is essential for personal development and well-being.
We have whole school worship three times a week and twice a week there is class worship, which allows age-appropriate discussions. The four elements of our collective worship are gathering, engaging, responding and sending. Our Christian distinctiveness is reflected through the use of recognised responses, symbols and colours. All worship begins with a welcome and ends with a prayer and time for reflection, symbolised by a candle to represent Jesus is the Light of the World, leading us through darkness. We explore the language which people use to express their feelings and deepen the pupils' sense of wonder about the world around them. It is a positive shared experience which establishes respect and tolerance within school and provides the time and space for children to develop a reflective approach to life, expressing themselves in traditionally religious ways or any other appropriate manner.
Every Friday, the school comes together for a celebratory collective worship where all pupil achievements are acknowledged and shared, with a particular emphasis on values they have demonstrated during the week. At the end of these celebrations, children take it in turns to lead us in our school prayer. This is a wonderful opportunity for the whole school community to celebrate the God-given gifts and talents our children have.
Worship is also led by the Swadlincote Assembly team, school staff and by the children. Children routinely lead services in church to celebrate Harvest, Christmas and Easter.
Communal acts of prayer form part of every act of worship. Every child is invited to pray and give thanks to God through words, songs, gestures and silence.
We feel that prayer is a good way of enabling children to focus their thoughts and the use of regular moments of silence and reflection provides opportunities for some pupils to respond in a personal way if they so wish.
There are places around the school where pupils can reflect in 'reflection corners' or 'prayer spaces'. By lighting candles and offering prayer, pupils demonstrate religious tolerance and enquiry.
Click here for our school prayer
Every School must by law provide religious education and daily collective worship mainly Christian in character.
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Lord Jesus Christ,
you taught us to love our neighbour,
and to care for those in need
as if we were caring for you.
In this time of anxiety, give us strength
to comfort the fearful, to tend the sick,
and to assure the isolated
of our love, and your love,
for your name’s sake.
Amen.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we reflected on the suffering, sacrifice, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, seeking the hope, courage and perseverance to be good neighbours and praying for health care workers that He may guide and protect them.
Children created symbols of hope and love: In the piece of art below, the different coloured hands represent diversity and global unity; the rainbow represents God's promise; the dove of peace is holding a cross; and the yellow ribbon and irises represent hope.(Designed by Charlie)
Our children have an excellent grasp of the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with that belonging, thereby developing their ability to empathise and make small sacrifices to benefit others. They are actively encouraged to foster an understanding of their importance, impact and influence in the world. We are diligent in showing our connection with, and care for, the world in which we all live and the people who live in it. Our Christian values ensure that opportunities to discuss the big issues, to challenge injustice and to engage in activities that can bring about change are always present.
Raising Awareness: Our children have an excellent grasp of the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with that belonging, thereby developing their ability to empathise and make small sacrifices to benefit others. This is embedded in our Global Themes and curriculum planning, ensuring global dimensions are part of our whole school ethos and vision.
Children learn from the voices of courageous advocates such as Florence Nightingale, Martin Luther King, Gandhi and Rosa Parks. They selected books for the library from the ‘Little People, Big Dreams’ collection including Marcus Rashford, Jane Goodall, Malala Yousafzai – these have proved extremely popular!
Agents of change in the curriculum: An agent of change is someone who passionately champions a cause that is meaningful and special to them.
In Science…
Children are immersed in the captivating stories of scientists, both historical and contemporary, who have dedicated their lives to specific scientific fields and left a profound impact on the modern world. For instance, they learn about exceptional individuals like Darwin, Carl Linnaeus, Isaac Newton, Galileo and David Attenborough, gaining insights into their ground-breaking work and its far-reaching consequences. By introducing children to these remarkable figures and their contributions, we aim to expand their horizons and instil the belief that anyone, driven by passion and determination, has the capacity to effect positive change. This approach nurtures a mindset of empowerment, inspiring children to explore their own interests and recognise the potential they possess to make a meaningful difference in the world.
In History…
Key historical figures and events are integrated into the curriculum, highlighting their profound impact on shaping our modern society. For instance, in Year 1, children delve into the courageous acts of Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole and how their actions prompted the advancement of nursing over time. Throughout these lessons, children are actively encouraged to participate in open-ended discussions, exploring their personal reflections and perspectives. This fosters a deeper understanding of empathy, critical thinking, and self-expression.
In Religious Education…
Children are provided with enriching opportunities to learn about various world religions as well as non-world religions. These opportunities not only enable children to gain knowledge about different belief systems but also encourage them to express their thoughts and ideas, fostering a climate of open-mindedness and mutual respect. Through comparative discussions, children explore and appreciate the diversity of worldviews and religious practices.
In Geography…
During the spring term we have a Geography focus with the overarching global theme of ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY. Geography inspires and ignites pupils with a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people. Our topics equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with an understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. It increases pupils’ knowledge of different cultures and in doing so, teaches a respect and understanding of their own surroundings, what it means to be a global citizen and our role in ecological sustainability
There are regular opportunities to educate the children about critical geographical issues such as climate change and environmental degradation and pupils are actively encouraged to foster an understanding of their importance, impact and influence in the world. We are diligent in showing our connection with, and care for, the world in which we all live and the people who live in it. Our Christian values ensure that opportunities to discuss the big issues, to challenge injustice and to engage in activities that can bring about change are always present.
Our school has held the ECO flag award for five consecutive years. The children wanted this to be part of the school motto.
We are proud to hold the International School’s Award and are committed to continue supporting our SOS child, Abinaya, who lives in India.
School council worked with the whole school to identify worthy causes to support. The pupils chose Water Aid as another international charity which links to our ECO school status and commitment to ecological sustainability, teenage cancer trust as a national charity and Diabetes UK as a charity close to home.
Community Influencing:
- The whole school took part the WI’s Climate Change display in the Village Hall.
- One Year 3 pupil asked if we could coordinate litter picking in the village after PSHE lessons on community.
- As a member of our school community has type 1 diabetes, the children decided they would like to take part in the Diabetes UK ‘nailing campaign’ to raise awareness. Parents speak highly of how the school has managed the children’s understanding of diabetes and they in turn have shared this with family.
- Pupils collected donations for the Swadlincote food bank and discussed the hardship that some families might find themselves in.
- The Head Teacher writes in the local Parish newsletter to reach out to the community and raise awareness of the charities we support.
- Links with the Leonard Cheshire Home.
Lifestyles Changes: Single-use plastic bottles are discouraged in school and each pupil brings a refillable bottle to use.
We have a school recycling bank for clothes, paper, pens, batteries and printer ink cartridges - this is managed by our ECO ambassadors.
Consumer Power: The school boiler now needs to be replaced, senior leaders agree that they should opt for a much greener heat exchange pump. There is an initial outlay and running costs may be a little higher but this is an ethical decision.
Engaging with decision-makers: As part of the local WI’s climate change campaign, we engaged with Amy Wheelton, our local councillor.
Our children are part of the consultation process for the development of an open space in the village. Children are keen to develop bio-diversity and for the site to be litter-free and sustainable.
Special Spaces: We are part of God’s world. We especially value our outdoor spaces. Our raised gardening beds and weekly Forest School show us seasonal changes and we watch the growth of the forests’ trees. We use nature as inspiration for our work and have an active Eco group advocating for better care of our planet.
We have special prayer spaces, used by all faiths and none.
We gathered with parents/carers and the village community in St. Peter's Church for our Harvest Celebration. We collected food donations for the Swadlincote Food Bank, which is a charity close to our hearts.
Class 1 created art to represent salvation from original sin
Remembrance
We feel that it is important to come together as a school community to pray for hope, love and unity and to remember the sacrifice of those who have died in the service of their country.
We were the first local school to be awarded the centenary poppy appeal award.
'Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.' John 15:13
Courageous Advocacy
At Netherseal St. Peter's, we understand that life can be challenging at times and that all people, including friends, family and global citizens will face difficulties that they may need help to overcome. Part of our ethos is to inspire courageous advocacy and instil Christian Values in the whole school community - this is part of our school motto: We have the power to make a change and be the best that we can be.
Courageous advocacy is speaking out and taking action against an issue of injustice, often on behalf of those whose voice is not heard. Speaking out requires an element (and sometimes a great deal) of courage!
“Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless” Proverbs 31:8
We are courageous advocates for the common good. We believe that people are worth spending time with, that people need time to grow and need loving attention.
Our children have an excellent grasp of the meaning of belonging to a local and global community and the sense of responsibility that comes with that belonging, thereby developing their ability to empathise and make small sacrifices to benefit others. They are actively encouraged to foster an understanding of their importance, impact and influence in the world. We are diligent in showing our connection with, and care for, the world in which we all live and the people who live in it. Our Christian values ensure that opportunities to discuss the big issues, to challenge injustice and to engage in activities that can bring about change are always present.
In recent years we have carried out a range of different fund raising events to support many good causes, some of which include:
- NSPCC
- Children in Need
- Comic Relief
- Sports Relief
- The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal
- Harvest Festival Food Donations
- Swadlincote Food Bank
- Links with the Leonard Cheshire Home
- Eco Projects
- Jeans for Genes
- Hello Yellow Campaign
- Community events such as Christmas Nativities, discos and film nights
- Staff and children write in the local Parish newsletter to reach out to the community
- International Schools Award (ISA) - this recognises and celebrates schools that are committed to developing international partnerships which enrich the curriculum and help young learners to become global citizens.
- SOS children
- Save the Children - Ukrainian refugees
The school community has for several years sponsored a little girl, Abinaya, who lives in an Indian orphanage, through the charity SOS Children. School Council lead the raising of funds for the £240 sponsorship every year and have a strong commitment to maintaining this. Collections taken at school-led services in church contribute to this fundraising.
After receiving an appeal from the Bishop of Derby to support the people of Zimbabwe following a catastrophic cyclone, one of our Year 6 pupils asked if we could raise money - and so our 'Save Zimbabwe Sale' was born! Pupils in Class 1 organised everything and worked extremely hard, writing letters to businesses for donations; baking cakes; designing games; marketing the sale; and buying 'stock' for their stalls. The sale was very well supported by parents and we are proud of what Class 1 achieved!
Some of our pupils were deeply moved by the plight of Ukrainian refugees and asked if they could help.
Together, they decided on a toy and book sale: we raised over £200 to send to Save the Children, who are distributing food, water, and hygiene kits to refugees arriving at the Romania-Ukraine border and providing child protection services, including targeted support for unaccompanied and separated children.
We feel proud that our school is helping to make a difference:
Netherseal St. Peter’s believes that every child is infinitely valuable and that everyone should have the hope and aspirations to be the best that they can be. We feel proud that our school is helping to make a difference. Rooted in Christian teaching, the children have a strong awareness of who their neighbours are and that they are part of something much bigger:
Click here to see just some of the charities we have supported