Our Christian Values

At Ickleford Primary School:

“The vision and values underpin school life, creating a tangible sense of ‘togetherness’. Staff and pupils are fully supportive of one another and there is a real feeling of team spirit throughout the school.”

SIAMS Inspection March 2026

 

At Ickleford Primary School, our distinctive Christian ethos forms the foundation for nurturing spirituality in every child. Rooted in our historic Christian vision - "Growing together in love and learning," inspired by Matthew 22:37-38 - we create an inclusive environment where all can flourish academically, socially and spiritually. Jesus’ teaching, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind," calls us to place love at the heart of life and learning, shaping all that we do.

Our school and local church remain united in this mission, serving the community with compassion and purpose. Christian values are woven through every aspect of school life, supporting pupils’ spiritual development and helping them grow into resilient, reflective and compassionate individuals. We celebrate and nurture spirituality through collective worship, our curriculum, relationships and the wider life of the school.

 

Our 6 Christian Values are:

Love            Courage                 Forgiveness

Joy              Service        Thankfulness

 

This half term our value is:    Forgiveness

Our symbol that represents this value is:  

Our words of wisdom from The Bible are:

'Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive others.'

Colossians 3.13

                                                                                                              

Our Prayer for this value is:  

Loving God,

We come before You aware of the times we have fallen short —
when we have hurt others,
when we have held onto anger,
when we have chosen our own way over Yours.

Forgive us, Lord.
Cleanse our hearts and make us new.
Teach us to forgive as You forgive —
freely, generously, completely.

As we journey towards Easter,
help us to remember the love shown on the cross
and the promise of new life it brings.

Lead us in Your light
and fill us with hope.

Amen.

Leaders have created a culture where values such as respect, honesty and unity shine through. Pupils are taught the right way to behave in school and when they are out in the community.  The school is a warm and friendly place to be.                                                                         

Ofsted 2022

Below are the answers to frequently asked questions about values education.

Christian Values Cycle for Collective Worship 

Term	Value	Value
Autumn	Love	Joy
Spring	Service	Forgiveness
Summer	Courage	Thankfulness

What is Values Education?

Ickleford Primary School is proud to be a values education based school. We aim to provide our pupils with a code of shared values by which to lead their lives and help them to make the right choices.

Each half term the school champions a new value. We inform parents of the chosen value and its significance in our regular newsletters. We hope this will stimulate discussion for you at home and that you can help us reinforce the importance of this value in the world in which we live.

How is it taught?

Time is given in collective worship to introduce and throughout the term time to explore the Christian value. A fun and stimulating, age-appropriate activity/discussion may also be presented in class, giving the children an opportunity to reflect upon these ideas and relate it to their own behaviour. Such activities might include: storytelling, songs, creative activities, co-operative activities, visiting speakers, class discussion and research projects.

The whole school community is encouraged to emphasise our values in their work and through their contact with the children. The children are positively encouraged to use the value through their own behaviour.

How is the positive demonstration of values celebrated?

At Ickleford Primary School, we are proud to celebrate the children who live out our school values each and every day. Staff regularly nominate pupils who have demonstrated the monthly value within our school community. These pupils are recognised as our Values Champions and are awarded a special Values Cup in Collective Worship, which they can proudly display on their desk.

To ensure the whole school can share in their success:

• Their photo and first name are displayed in the school library, creating a visual celebration of their achievement.

• Their first names are also shared in the school newsletter, so that parents and carers can join us in recognising their contribution to our school community.

In addition to staff nominations, we also celebrate peer recognition through our popular Values Shout Outs. Pupils can complete a nomination slip in their classroom when they notice a friend demonstrating one of our school values. These slips include a short explanation of how the value was shown, and selected shout outs are read aloud in Collective Worship each week.

Both Values Champions and Values Shout Outs are a much-loved part of life at Ickleford, encouraging everyone to notice, celebrate and be inspired by the positive actions of others. Together, these celebrations help us to build a school culture rooted in kindness, respect, and living out our values every day.