Our Christian Vision

          Our Schools’ Christian Vision

‘Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ Matthew 5:16

What does it mean?

• We are all God's children and are called to "give glory" to our Father in heaven through our "good works". This reminds us of the importance of our actions.
• Our actions allow us to let our light shine.
• Our actions allow us to share the light of Jesus with those around us.

• That’s what Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16 - such a powerful motivator for children who want to serve God. When you break it down, it’s a three-parts; 

1. Let your light shine,
2. Do good works,
3. Bring God glory!

• When Jesus told us we are the light of the world, He was giving us a picture of who we are supposed to be. We are to be Christians everywhere we go. We should act in such a way, that others see Jesus in us and because of what they see they glorify God.

• Sometimes, we may see this picture Jesus has given us in modern terms. We think about lights today. Lights today come with a switch. We can turn them on and off easily. That is often our view of Christianity today; we turn it on and off as we please.

• It is easy to just turn our light off and we act like others in the world. But when we feel like doing something for Jesus, we turn it back on again.

• Jesus told us to let our lights shine so that others seeing our good works, would glorify our Father in heaven. We don't let our light shine so others will say good things about us, we let our light shine so others will glorify God. We need to let our light shine and through everything we do and where we go.

• Jesus shares this insight recorded in Matthew 5 with His disciples. This conversation with the disciples came after Jesus healed a multitude throughout Galilee and was taking a peaceful rest from the crowds on a mountain.

• Jesus tells the disciples that all believers are “the salt and light of the world” (Matt. 5:13-14) and that they are like a “city on a hill that cannot be hidden” (Matt. 5:14). He continues the verse by saying that believers were meant to be like lights for lamps that weren’t meant to be hidden under a basket, but placed on lampstands to light the way for all (Matt. 5:15).

• This verse was part of several words of wisdom Jesus offered to His disciples, where it is revealed later, in Matthew 7:28-29, that those listening “were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.”

• Jesus knew what was in store for not only His disciples, but also for those that would later accept Him because of His sacrifice on the cross. He knew troubling times were ahead and that we needed to be lights in those times in order for others to survive and thrive.

• In a world that is filled with darkness, believers are to be the lights shining through the darkness to lead people not only to safety but to the arms of Jesus.

• As Jesus experienced with the Sanhedrin, who ultimately carved the path to Him being crucified on the cross, we as believers will also struggle against a world that will try to take away our light or claim it is false and not of God.

Our School Christian Values

The Christian character, ethos and values of our Church schools contribute to the academic achievement, personal development and well-being of all learners, regardless of their ability or background. Through the distinctively Christian character of our schools, we develop children's understanding of our Christian values;  Honesty  Respect  Forgiveness and  Love

Honesty (Hebrews 6:18) "So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie.”

Respect (Matthew 7:12) “So in everything, do to others, what you would have them do to you.”

Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13) "Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also forgive others."

Love (John 4:8, 16). “Love is both what God is and what he has done; God always acts in love.”

“With HONESTY, RESPECT, FORGIVENESS and LOVE we persevere, succeed and and shine.”

Christian Values 'SHINE' Awards

Every week, we celebrate children who demonstrate our Christian Values by presenting them with an award in assembly. The children recognise the importance of our values and they strive to let their SHINE  within school and our wider community.

Christian Values Wristbands

Children and staff have the opportunity to receive a 'Values' Wristband if they are shown to demonstrate one of our schools values. Staff and pupils are able to nominate recipients of a Wristband, this is such an effective way of ensuring our Values are meaningful to all of the school community. We all recognise the importance of our values and we strive to SHINE within school and our wider community at all times. 

Spirituality

The Church of England’s Vision for Education states a core desire that children will experience life in all its fullness (John 10:10). At The Three Schools, we believe that exploring Spirituality by educating the whole child and providing full life experiences meets this desire. 

We define Spirituality as an ongoing, reflective journey. At The Three Schools, we explore with the children what their light is and how they can let it shine. We want our children to know that we are all different; we are all unique but God has given us all strengths that we can develop and achieve our potential. Spirituality enables our children to be aim high, achieve success and SHINE, as reflected in our motto.