Cranham C of E Primary School

Cranham C of E Primary School
Sowing the seeds of learning...

Our Vision & Values

"The vision is fully embedded in all areas of the curriculum, shown in policies, plans and lessons and is clearly articulated by all. The headteacher and governors robustly monitor all areas of school life with their vision at the centre of all evaluation." (SIAMS Report 2023)

Our Vision

Sowing the seeds of learning through courage, compassion and community.

(from the Parable of the Sower Matthew 13: 1-23)

 The Sower

 

As a rural school, with many farming families, this parable makes sense to both our children and parents who can identify fully with the analogy of growth, and of flourishing under the right conditions. The children are able to make clear comparisons with academic learning: those who don’t want to try to understand; those who begin to understand but don’t focus enough to let the knowledge take root; those who are distracted by the world around them which chokes away the understanding; those who listen fully, understand and let the knowledge grow in their heart so that they can go on to teach others.

But of course, the real power of this  parable is in our spiritual growth: the courage and effort it takes to nurture

the good seed within us, despite the distractions of the world around us, to be the very best versions of ourselves and to flourish spiritually, academically, physically, socially and mentally. ‘Sowing the seeds of learning’ reflects our desire to nurture the goodness inside each of us within our school community, both adult and child, so that we flourish in every way, and then go on to spread that goodness a hundred times what was sown; Cranham Church of England Primary strives to provide the fertile soil and the nurture required for this.

Our Values

Our whole school community was very much involved in the development of our vision, and we love how it celebrates everything we do at Cranham! The phrase ‘Sowing the seeds of learning’ reflects our desire to ignite an interest in the world, and a passion for learning, that will be sustained into adulthood. We then felt that it was important to focus in on a small number of core values. Workshops for parents and children led us to an emphasis on compassion for each other and courage, particularly in our learning and transitions. Everyone wanted the strength of our wonderful community to be part of our vision too.

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For our children to flourish, they need the courage to take calculated risks and to learn from their mistakes. We help children to develop a Growth Mindset, which encourages them to be resilient and believe in themselves. Our end goal is to ensure that all children are inspired become lifelong learners, and we receive very positive feedback from local secondary schools about the confidence of our pupils as they move to the next stage of their education. Our vision is for our children to have the confidence to be proud of who they are, and to feel assured in making the right decision even when others around them aren’t – to see beyond the distractions of the modern world and to have the courage to live a life of service to others instead of serving only themselves. We are determined to support them to flourish both academically and personally.

For our children to flourish, they need compassion from those around them so that they feel content and safe. Happy children make the best learners, and the staff at Cranham embrace this principle on a daily basis. We tailor well-being support carefully and with compassion through our small classes and strong pastoral focus. Our nurturing ethos can be seen throughout the school day, and we are very much a family, learning together in a Christian community. Our creative curriculum allows us to explore those vital personal and social skills: we teach children to notice when others are suffering and to act upon the compassion they feel stirring within – to care not just for themselves, but for one another so that we can all flourish personally, mentally and socially.

For our children to flourish, they need a sense of community. Because we are a small village school, we know each of our children and their families in depth; our strength of community is outstanding and this allows us to serve and support our families as well as our children. We work hard at Cranham to develop strong relationships with parents and carers, and to involve families and the wider community in the life of the school. We love to be outdoors and to feel part of the Cranham Community so we can often be found down in the woods enjoying Forest School, or in the church which we see as our very special 'Extra Classroom'. Our community links with the church and the Diocese are good, with plans to strengthen further next year, and our daily Collective Worship is well-established and effective, encouraging our children to flourish spiritually. Recent changes to our sports provision has meant that children have greater sporting opportunities and access to space, along with greater use of our well-equipped local outside facilities, allowing them to flourish physically, mentally and socially.

 

Through Collective Worship, we focus in detail on each of our values every long term...

Autumn term: Compassion (including forgiveness, generosity and friendship)

Spring Term: Community (including thankfulness, trust, respect and service)

Summer Term: Courage (including justice, truthfulness and perseverance)

Our Ethos Statement

At Cranham Church of England Primary School we pride ourselves on being a caring family. We aim to uphold Christian values, respecting each other's beliefs whilst maintaining strong links with the parish church and the local community. We nurture respect, awareness of spirituality and the moral development of each individual in order for every individual to flourish.

Core British Values

All schools are required to teach ‘British Values’. We promote ‘British Values' alongside our core teachings. We also hold two British values days each year. 

Further information can be found in our British Values Policy

Our Promises

Staff and governors worked together to establish these three key promises, which link to the three parts of our vision too. The promises we make to our children are the same as those that we make to all our stakeholders.

  • By listening to you, we will care for you and ensure your safety and well-being.

  • By providing a Christian foundation, we aim to help you to achieve your potential, both as a person and as a learner.

  • By providing an exciting curriculum, we hope to enrich your time at school, and enable you to step confidently into your future

What did SIAMs say about our vision?

"The school’s curriculum is a holistic expression of its vision. Pupils are encouraged to be courageous learners, to help others and work together to solve problems. Their behaviour code and ‘conditions for learning’ chart also draw upon the vision theme of sowing and growing. Pupils say their vision helps them to learn and play well... The vision is clearly reflected in pupils’ attitudes and behaviour. Through discussion and reflection, pupils are challenged to be resilient and make positive choices. The importance of forgiveness is understood drawing upon Jesus’ examples, such as Zacchaeus making a new start. Playtimes are therefore positive, and pupils look after each other. Peer mediators help younger children solve disagreements. As a result, everyone is treated with dignity and respect. The vision supports pupils’ character and moral development by guiding pupils to be courageous and to ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’. This empowers pupils to be advocates for change in tackling environmental issues such as campaigning against plastic waste. The vision inspires them to be compassionate and lead in the community such as collecting Easter eggs for the local foodbank. Pupils are encouraged to think beyond themselves through ‘big questions’ in lessons and worship... The vision emphasises compassion and community and is reflected in school partnerships and extended provision... The impact of vision driven partnerships is far reaching." (SIAMS Report 2023)