Our Ethos Statement
We aim to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of religious belief and practice. We encourage an under
standing of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian and British values through the experiences we offer to all our pupils.
Through recognising our historical foundation, Wymondham, St Peter's Church of England Primary School, will preserve and develop our religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with our Trust and local churches, at parish and diocesan level, whilst respecting the views of those with no religion, belief or faith. We are an inclusive school and as such our school family is strengthened.
Our Vision
We are committed to providing a safe, positive learning environment where everyone is valued, respected and celebrated. Faith, spirituality, Christian and British values guide our learning, enabling our children to flourish and succeed as kind, helpful, confident individuals ready for living life in all its fullness within a diverse society.
1 Peter 3:8
Origins of our Vision Statement
Letter to parents 14th September 2022
Dear Parents
I am delighted to inform you that our new vision statement has been finalised. Our community has collectively chosen: “Have love for one another, a tender heart and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
The link to the name of our school and St Peter’s Church in Wymondham was a determining factor in the decision-making process. Typical comments included: “We love that there is a link to Peter and we think it is a really positive message to have love for one another which we feel shines through our school and our school family.”
Other comments included: “It reflects the nature of the school, which comes across as a place of kindness, friendliness and most of all, the children are seen on an equal footing.”
“This statement speaks volumes; it speaks of kindness to everyone.“
"The verse would also work well as a school call-and-response at collective worship:
V. Let us love one another, R. with a tender heart and a humble mind.”
We also asked the children for some comments and they replied:
“A tender heart means loving one another.”
“Having a humble mind means not boasting about things you are good at.”
“If you are humble you know your limits and help others”.
The statement is also particularly poignant as Jesus referred to Peter in the gospels as being ‘a rock...on which to build my church’ (Matthew 16.13-20, where Peter has found that the key to life is Jesus himself): we see our school as the solid foundation on which to build lives, a future, a diverse community that live well together.
Those who are eagle-eyed, will have noticed the keyhole on the door in our school logo; something we were passionate about including when we had it re-designed last year. Jesus gave Peter “the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” 
A key was a badge of authority (Luke 11:52 ) and then, as now, was used to open doors. Our hope at Wymondham School, is that we give the keys for our children to open the doors of faith; the doors to learning and knowledge; the doors to aspiration, confidence and creativity so that all feel loved, valued and respected so that they flourish and succeed in life.
Rev. David has also suggested that on June 29th we could join in with the church’s celebration of the Feast of Peter…plenty of time to think about and plan for this! If you have any further suggestions or comments to make, please email us or speak to us at the gate as we greatly value your contributions.
Thank you for helping us to choose this pertinent vision statement that reflects our wonderful school.
Yours sincerely,
A.Scott J.V.Hopkins H.Sykes
Head of School Executive Headteacher Chair of Governors
Our School Logo
Wymondham Windmill, a 200 year old Living Mill is a local landmark that attracts many visitors throughout the year.
The force of the wind helps the sails rotate in a circular motion, creating transformation from within. In the same way, the energy of God's love and the love of our family encircles us so that we can live life in all it's fulness, enabling us to flourish and succeed.
Wheat is transformed into flour, which is then transformed into bread. The bread is seen by Christians as a representation of the body of Christ and as such, Christ has an energy that carries great wisdom, strength, courage and love.
The door on our windmill, is in the shape of a keyhole, which has links with St Peter's Church in Wymondham and is 'open' and inclusive to all. Our school and church, working in partnership together with families, holds the key to a world of possibilities and unlocks the potential of all who enter.
Peter being given the keys to kingdom by Jesus: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19).
Our Values
At our school, guided by Christian and British values, we maintain that learning should be an exciting and enjoyable experience for everyone (adults and children); it should be fun and interactive, challenging and celebratory so a love for learning deepens.
Our Christian values support our spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as we grow and learn together in a happy, safe, aspirational environment. Through God’s example, we celebrate the uniqueness of each individual and endeavour to unlock their full potential. We inspire and enable our children to contribute to and thrive in a diverse society through promoting the following core values:
Kindness, Peace, Hope, Forgiveness, Helpfulness and Respect
The weeping willow is an integral part of our school grounds. It provides shelter and a p
lace where friendships blossom and grow.
Green, like the leaves on the branches, the willow symbolises nature, fruitfulness and life. It also represents balance, nourishment, learning, growth and harmony. Our image of the willow tree represents strength and stability, standing firm and withstanding the passage of time and all its challenges, rooted in firm Christian foundations that enable each part of the tree to flourish and thrive. This will give our children the wings to fly.
Spirituality At Our School
Spiritual development relates to the quest for individual identity and the search for meaning and purpose in our existence. It leads towards the understanding of self and others; the natural world and beyond; how to love and be loved.
It has to do with feelings, emotions, attitudes and beliefs: things that we care about, things that move us, things we are curious about and love. It is not linked solely to a particular religion, doctrine or faith. It is something we experience on a personal level.
Spiritual development is therefore accessible to everyone.
Light a candle
Whenever we worship together, be it in church or at school, we create a spiritual experience for the children and staff by lighting a candle. The peacefulness of the light helps us to think deeply about what matters most to us.
The Church of England Society introduced a virtual candle during the pandemic and it continues to be available for those who need a quiet moment of reflection. By lighting a virtual candle, you can make a space to pray.
You can light a candle online to pray for yourself, for a loved one or for a situation by clicking on the picture below . Whatever is going on, make space to pray in your life.
British Values
The government has set out its definition of British values in the 'Prevent Strategy' and emphasises that schools are required to ensure these values are taught across the United Kingdom.
At Wymondham Church of England Primary School we have always recognised the importance of educating our children so that they understand the multi-faith and multi-cultural Britain we live in today. We provide opportunities and life experiences that will help our children to contribute to an ever changing, diverse society throughout their lives.
Democracy
Democracy is embedded at our school. Pupils are taught to listen carefully and with concern for each other, respecting the right of every individual to have their opinions and voices heard. Our pupils are taught the value of respecting themselves and others around them, as well as their belongings and world around them. Children have the opportunity to express their opinions and ideas through our School Council, for example, which is made up of elected members from each class by pupil votes, reflecting our British electoral system and demonstrating democracy in action. Our robust behaviour policy, devised by the children with staff, governors and parents, involves both rewards and sanctions; children are clear about the expectations at our school as they were all involved in creating the school rules.
The Rule of Law
The importance of laws, whether they are those that govern the class, the school or the country, is consistently reinforced through our curriculum, behaviour system and through Collective Worship. Each class discusses our School Rules to ensure they understand what is expected and to learn about making sensible choices; this ensures that every child is able to learn in a happy, safe environment where everyone supports one another. We expect our children to behave impeccably when they are on trips and visits outside of school; they are taught, through our behaviour policy, what happens if they break the rules and that the wrong choices have consequences. Our children are always praised for their excellent behaviour and attitude when out of school or when we receive visitors; they demonstrate respectfulness and understand justice.
Individual Liberty
Within school, pupils are actively encouraged to make choices, knowing that they are in a safe and supportive environment. As a school we provide boundaries for our pupils to make choices safely, through the provision of a secure environment and an empowering education. Our pupils are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights and personal freedoms and are advised how to exercise these safely and sensibly; examples of this can be seen in our teaching of e-safety, for example. Whether it is through the curriculum or through participation in our extra- curricular activities, our pupils are given the freedom to make choices. Pupils are also given the opportunity to engage in their own learning through setting their own personal targets with their teacher and through self-assessment of their work.
Mutual Respect
Respect is one of the core values that is tangible at our school. The teaching and learning of Christian values is inherent in all we do, but specifically taught through Religious Education, Collective Worship, Leadership days and Personal Social Health and Citizenship Education(PSHCE). This helps to develop self-esteem and positive relationships with others. Children embrace leadership roles such as Worship Monitors and the Anti-bullying Steering Group where they put together presentations for the rest of school and influence policy and practice. Other children respond respectfully and willingly and eagerly answer questions and respond readily to evaluations which the leaders incorporate into their plenaries.
Tolerance of those with Different Faiths and Beliefs
Our school enhances pupils understanding of different faiths and beliefs through a broad approach to Religious Education, using the Leicester Syllabus for RE and Understanding Christianity, through our daily acts of Collective Worship and our varied PSHCE curriculum. Our worship time includes sharing ideas, events, prayer, music and stories to learn about diversity. We visit a variety of different places of worship, such as Sikh and Hindu temples, Catholic and Methodist churches as well as Leicester Cathedral and we recognise different festivals through our project work and links with other schools. We participate in sporting events across Leicestershire and music festivals which enable them to meet and work with people from many different backgrounds.
