Our St. Wulstan's Values
What our St. Wulstan's Values mean to us
Shortly before Christmas 2019, our GIFT team asked the children to vote for five St. Wulstan’s Values, the values which guide and inspire us in our Christian lives, those given to us in the Gospels. They chose: love, friendship, honesty, respect, forgiveness. The spiritual, social, moral and cultural development of pupils is important to us and one way in which we foster this is by promoting our ‘Gospel Values’ alongside our British Values. Our policies, procedures and daily teaching are underpinned by these values. These values are shared with children on a regular basis, and reinforced through our teaching. Most of these values can be said to be ‘human values’ and inclusive for people with different or diverse faiths and also for those with no faith. As a Roman Catholic School, however, we have rooted these values in the Bible.
Love
Love is a very important value to us as a school. Love underpins everything that we do. It is very much ‘the why’ of who we are. Love is evident in our relationships with each other and in our actions to support our community and our world. We see it in our interactions at school and home, feel it when we are together, and experience it through how others act towards us. We can grow and learn together because we know that God loves us.
What makes love a distinctively Christian value? Because Christians recognise that God is love, and love comes from God (1John 4:7). Whilst love is important in almost every culture and religion, the Bible tells us that God loved us first. We are therefore able to love in the true sense of the word because God loves us. As we receive and experience God’s love, which is unconditional and for everyone, we can then love others. Christians believe that it is by understanding God’s love for us that we truly love others. It is with this in mind that St Mark’s choses love as a value.
We see love shown in the Christian narrative in many ways. Christians believe that Jesus’ death and resurrection were all because God loved us and wanted us to be made right with Him again. This was the ultimate expression of love. Almost every Christian story has at the heart of it the love of God. For example, the Passover, Abraham and Isaac, The Good Samaritan, Calming of the storm and so on.
At St. Wulstan's we develop our value of love through: our worship times together; sharing stories of how God and Jesus show love to us; modelling positive interactions and encouragement; supporting those in need, both at school, in our community and in our world; and many other ways.
Example Bible Story
The Prodigal Son
Jesus' Death and Resurrection
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Corinthians 13:4-8)
Friendship
Friendship is an undisputed value in our society, with children often spending more time with their friends than with family. It is a key concept in the Christian framework, with Jesus being criticised for being ˜the friend of sinners’ and eating with those whom society rejected. The barriers between people are broken down in a loving community around God and Jesus had stern words to say to those who refused to recognise that all are included in this community of friendship. Friends are not afraid to tell each other the truth and a friend’s loving criticism is worth more than the empty compliments of someone who does not really care for you. The friendship of David and Jonathan is very strongly emphasised in the Bible, Abraham is described as the friend of God (James 2:23) and Jesus explicitly calls his disciples not servants but friends (John 15:14 – 15). True friendship enables each person to grow and ensures that the unique individuality of each person is recognised. All this echoes the Value placed by God on the preciousness of each person.
We should reflect on the following questions:
- How does the school support and encourage friendship bonds by providing opportunities for children to work cooperatively and collaboratively in pairs and in groups?
- How does the school community find ways to support and include pupils who might be left out of friendship groups?
- How does the school help pupils to restore broken friendships and promote reconciliation? How does the school help children know where they might receive advice and support if they need it?
Example Bible Story
David and Jonathan
1 Samuel Chapter 18
A sweet friendship refreshes the soul (Proverbs 27:9)
Laugh with your happy friends when they are happy; share tears when they are down (Romans 12:15)
Honesty
As Christians, we believe that truth is revealed in the Bible and supremely in the person and life of Jesus Christ. Through Jesus’ teaching we are given an insight into the nature of God and the way in which He means us to live.
We should consider the following questions:
- How does the school encourage all members of the school community to be truthful in their dealings with one another?
- How far does the school help pupils to understand that life is about a search for truth and meaning?
- How does the school community understand the concept of being true to oneself? (i.e. standing up for one’s beliefs)
- Does the school equip children to make informed moral choices?
Example Bible Story
The bad brother
Genesis Chapter 27
The Lord detests lying lips but he delights in those who tell the truth (Proverbs 12:22)
Respect
As Moses approached the presence of God in the burning bush, God said to him: ˜Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ‘ This scene captures something of the essence of ˜reverence’ and ‘respect’. Respect for God extends to respect for all creation, including all people, animals and our environment. In school children and adults are expected to show respect for each other, their belongings and their environment. Reverence takes this response a step further and will include aspects of worship such as awe and wonder, surrender and sacrifice.
We should reflect on the following questions:
- How are pupils given the opportunity in school to experience feelings of awe, wonder and mystery?
- Are there places and objects around the school that are considered ‘holy or sacred’, which help children reflect and wonder at the nature of God?
- What special words, sacramental actions or religious symbols are used to challenge and inform children’s understanding of God?
- How do children show their respect for each other and adults in the school community?
- How are children encouraged to Value and respect their own and other people’s belongings?
- How do policies and practices in the school engender respect for all members of the school community?
Example Bible Story
Moses and the Burning Bush
Exodus Chapters 2-4
Do to others as you have them do unto you (Luke 6:31)
Forgiveness
In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to forgive us our sins or trespasses as we forgive those who sin against us. What a thing to ask! We are saying we wish God to treat us in the same way we treat other people! Forgiveness is the means by which damaged relationships are restored. It is an act of the will, motivated by love. Children and adults in school are helped to acknowledge that we all make mistakes and we all need forgiveness from God and each other.
We should reflect on the following questions:
- How are children and adults within the school community helped to acknowledge that we all make mistakes and we all need forgiveness from God and each other?
- How does the school help all members of the community to make amends for their mistakes?
- How does the school celebrate the idea that God’s love is so great that forgiveness is always possible?
- How does the school foster the idea that forgiveness and acceptance of all builds the life of the school community?
Example Bible Story
The Prodigal Son
Luke’s Gospel Chapter 15
Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ, forgave you (Ephesians 4: 32)
Our Gospel banners have been designed and painted by the children. They are now permanently displayed in the arches of the main corridor. Gospel values are what Jesus said, what Jesus did and what He told us to do. They are at the root of Catholic social teaching and so they are what we abide by behaving towards others here at St. Wulstan’s. All of the Gospel values begin with and ‘derive from Jesus’ Law of Love and are a perfect example for how our children should be.