Our Christian Values
Pupils know that we are a Church of England Primary School and how this makes our school unique. The children talk about our school REFLECT values, link them to Bible stories and explain how they apply them to their learning and wider life.
Christian Ethos
As a church school, we put Christian teachings and values at the heart of everything we do.
Our Christian ethos is embodied in our school REFLECT values.
Respect, Endeavour, Friendship, Leadership, Enjoyment, Cooperation, Trust.
Respect
We respect the diversity, rights, and property of others. Children, staff, and governors treat each other with mutual respect, and know that they need to earn that respect as well as give it to others. We respect the teachings of our Christian tradition, including the Ten Commandments, given by God to Moses, telling his people to have only one God, to respect their father and mother, to respect the Sabbath, and not to lie or steal.
Endeavour
We always strive to use our God-given talents to do the best we can and to encourage and celebrate the endeavours and achievements of others. Success in the classroom, on the sports field, or in art, music, or performance, does not come easily to most of us, but our school encourages and rewards effort and endeavour. Jesus told the story of the wise man who built his house on rock rather than on sand. The house built on sand collapsed under the wind and rain. The house built on rock stood firm. Like the wise man, using our faith in God, we put time, thought, and effort into our endeavours, knowing they too will have firm foundations.
Friendship
We live our lives in a spirit of friendship, showing consideration to others and being there to offer kindness, support and affection. Jesus taught his followers to love their neighbours as themselves. When someone asked him ‘Who is my neighbour?’, Jesus told the story of the man who was attacked by robbers and left for dead. Two people passed by on the other side of the road but a Samaritan – an outsider from a different region - bandaged the man’s wounds and paid for him to be looked after at an inn. Christianity teaches us to be like the Good Samaritan, showing friendship to all.
Leadership
Staff, governors, and children all have opportunities to lead by example in different parts of our school life. Leadership is not about being in charge or bossing people around, but about earning respect from others by showing the right way to behave. The book of Genesis tells the story of Noah and the great flood. Noah was called on by God to show leadership by building an ark to save human and animal life from destruction. God chose Noah to be a leader because he knew he was a good man who could be trusted to do the right thing. Being a leader can be difficult when others do not agree with what you think is right.
Enjoyment
We enjoy all parts of our school life. Our school motto, which we share with our sister school at Smarden, is ‘Enjoying, Learning and Achieving Together’. The Bible teaches us to take joy and pleasure in God’s creation, in each other, and in the life we have been given. That includes enjoying our good fortune and our opportunities to learn and grow at school. Although life is sometimes hard, enjoyment, happiness, and gladness are gifts of God that we are always ready to accept.
Cooperation
As individuals there are limits to what we can achieve. As a team we can do so much more. At Pluckley Church of England Primary School we work together to achieve our aims. In the earliest years of Christianity, St Paul wrote to those who were trying to form a church and explained how they were all united together, and not just separate individuals. He told them to think of themselves as being like a human body. The body has many different parts – hands, feet, eyes, ears. A body needs all of these different parts. What good would it be if we had just eyes or just hands but nothing else? It is only when all the different parts cooperate, each doing its own job, that the body can function. There are many parts, but one body.
Trust
We put faith and confidence in God and in each other. Trust, like respect, is something that is earned and learned. When we know that others have our best interests at heart we learn that we can trust them. We need to trust others to help and support us. No-one should feel that they are facing challenges alone. On one occasion, when Jesus had healed ten lepers from their illness, one came back to thank Jesus and praise God. Jesus told this man that his faith had healed him. Having faith in others to be able to help us, and putting ourselves in their hands, can help us too. We do not have to try to solve all our problems on our own.