Vision and Values
We are proud to be an academy within The Good Shepherd Trust.
Our Christian vision is… Every member of Waverley Abbey is a child of God who learns to live a life of love, compassion and hope within our school family on their way to fulfilling their God-given potential. We want children to leave having grown in faith and courage and established on their spiritual journey.
All things are possible for one who believes. Mark 9:23
Our Christian vision reflects a Christian understanding of God… We believe that everyone is created by God and is a child of God. We believe that all of us have the chance to grow in faith and understanding of God. Through the example of Jesus Christ - and what he did in and through his life, death and resurrection - we have the opportunity to become whole and exactly who God created us to be.
Our Christian vision reflects our belief in each other… We believe that we are unique and created by God for a purpose. Each of us has the capacity to grow and flourish and become the best that we can be under God’s love and care. We flourish best in community and fellowship with each other.
Our Christian vision reflects our belief about the world… We believe that our relationship with God should be reflected in how we treat others. This means that in the same way that God has compassion and love for us, we should show compassion and love for others. This means that we should care for the whole of God’s creation, thinking about the way we treat our world and all who live in it.
Our Christian vision is lived out in… We believe that God’s love cannot be compartmentalised. It should flow through every part of our living and learning. Every facet of our curriculum should reflect our faith and values. We believe that every child should be encouraged and allowed to be courageous advocates for others in need. Every child should leave with the mindset that speaks of not being discouraged by difficulty, but having learned resilience and courage to persevere.
Our Christian vision and values have been developed by our children, staff, local committee and parents.
Primary linked documents: curriculum policy, collective worship policy, self-evaluation and improvement plan, RE policy, RSE statement, behaviour policy. Also addressed in all policies as they come up for review.
Our Values
Our Christian values permeate the life of the school. As we go through the day the children and adults aim to live out these values, deepening their meaning and showing them in many practical ways. Although not a Christian value, growth unites all the values as we look to grow in all of these as we progress on our spiritual journey.
Our focus themes, stemming from these values form the basis for our daily Collective Worship. Each week, through Good News assembly, we spend time together as a school celebrating those children who have particularly shown these values in their attitude and behaviour at school.
The values have been decided as a school community and reflect what is of importance to Waverley Abbey.
Although these values may be supported and shared by Christians and non-Christians alike, theological backgrounds and biblical references help to explore what is distinctively Christian about each value. Jesus said, ‘all things are possible for one who believes’ (Mark 9:23). This is far more than self-belief and growing as a learner. It is the power of God that makes what seems impossible possible. Nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).
Hope
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
This powerful and affirming passage is a part of a letter Jeremiah writes to the exiles in Babylon—the Hebrews who have been taken from their own land and are now living in a foreign place. Jeremiah’s advice is, in essence, to fully embrace the new situation.
Hope is our value because we believe that there is always hope and all is never lost. Hope is an attitude of mind that we develop through faith in God and each other. At Waverley Abbey this helps us to persevere, even when things get tough and when we face new challenges.
Love
Children, let us not love with words or speech but in actions and in truth. John 3:18
Love is a value that underpins all that we do at Waverley Abbey. We often use the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’. For all of us, it’s not enough just to say nice things to others – we need to back it up by doing kind and caring things for them too.
Jesus demonstrated his unconditional love during his time on earth indiscriminately and as followers of Jesus we aim to walk in his footsteps. We show love to everyone by putting others before ourselves, without expecting anything in return.
Courage
In Deuteronomy (31:8), Moses says ‘The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged’.
Courage is a value for Waverley Abbey because God asks us to be brave in the face of hardship, knowing that He is with us at all times.
This reminds us to be brave and to be the best we can be when things are difficult. We have courage to stand against injustice and are committed to what is right and true.
Honesty
Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
At school, we discuss how being honest with yourself is important – that everyone makes mistakes but that everyone has the potential to become perfect in the eyes of the Lord. Everyone is growing and no matter what, if we come to the Lord, then He will forgive us. We talk about how being untruthful weighs us down, trapping us and making us feel sad.
Being honest with friends and family is important for personal relationships and for us to feel comfortable with ourselves. Honesty in friendships and at home, in the classroom and in the school community helps us to be trusted amongst peers and those in the wider community. Being fair and open with each other, agreeing always to tell the truth helps others to see us as trustworthy, reliable and dependable.
Compassion
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ, God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32
Compassion is a value that is important to us at Waverley Abbey. The word means to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, leading to a desire to act so that we can help to stop sadness and suffering.
At school, we think about those within our community and beyond, recognising the importance of loving those who may not like or who are different to us. We encourage compassion, empathy and forgiveness for each other as we are all made in the image of God.