Our Values & Ethos

Our Vision

Our vision encompasses and references Matthew 7:24 and the security we can have in our lives by living by the word of Jesus, using his teachings as our rock and foundation.

Our vision is made up of three distinct sections. They explain:

Who we are;
What we do;
Why we do it.

To explain our vision statement, we have detailed what each phase means:

‘AN INCLUSIVE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY BUILDING ON FIRM FOUNDATIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVES.’

‘AN INCLUSIVE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY’ (who we are)

In this school Christianity forms the core of what we uphold and teach; we believe it to be evident in the ethos of the school. At the same time, we acknowledge and value the multi- faith nature of our community and society.

We are accepting of others in line with the wider values of our city and country, which is reflected in the Christian tenet of ‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself.’Matthew 22:39

‘BUILDING ON FIRM FOUNDATIONS’ (what we do)

God is our foundation; we build on this based on Jesus’ teachings. Expanding on and enhancing the values, our children and families live by. in all areas of school life and the curriculum, we build strongly on the foundations each child enters with, whether that be faith, talent or academic attainment.

‘Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.’ Matthew 7:24-27

‘FOR SUCCESSFUL LIVES’ (why we do it)

We understand that we are shaping lives for the future. We expect our children to achieve well academically, to become fully rounded human beings, to develop a strong sense of self and walk out into the world confidently, ready to make their mark; to have a positive impact on their own lives and the lives of others. With a Growth Mindset we strive to be the best we can be, not only academically, but also morally, socially and spiritually.

‘You will enjoy what you work for and you will be blessed with good things.’ Psalm 128:2

Our Mission Statement

St Michael at Bowes is a Church of England school, reflecting Christian values. We believe that every child should have a happy, safe, secure and disciplined environment in order that all children may thrive and reach their full potential.

We are committed towards an environment that reflects our Christian values and provides equal opportunities for all members of the school community. We strive for continual progress and development with the purpose of improving standards, raising attainment and enhancing the quality of learning and teaching.

Our Aims

We believe that children should be happy, enjoy coming to school, take away with them happy memories and be able to make good friendships with other people.

To make sure our children always have good manners, behave well and have a smart appearance.

To encourage our children to be more confident and believe in themselves and what they can achieve, so they can develop knowledge, skills and care for others.

To help our children to become independent learners, always asking questions about the world around them.

To teach our children to accept and show respect for other peoples’ views, beliefs and cultures, to have respect for themselves and know they are important and special.

To make sure parents, governors, staff and the community all work well together to give our children an environment in which each child can reach for the stars and achieve their targets.

Our School Values

Our school values, firmly rooted in Christian values, underpin all the work we do as a school. Our pupils learn what each value means and why it is so important. They also learn how to demonstrate each value in their daily lives.

Our six values are:

Caring – Love, kindness, understanding, empathy, forgiveness, reconciliation, compassion, reflectiveness, friendship and peace.
Philippians 2:4 ‘Do not be interested only in your own life but be in the lives of others’
Cooperation -Team work, sharing, help and guidance, patience and encouragement.
Romans 12:16 ‘Live in peace with each other. Do not be proud, but makes friends with those who seem unimportant. Do not think how smart you are’
Fairness – Equality, tolerance, inclusiveness, unity, belonging, justice, communication.
Matthew 20:16 ‘So the last will be first, and the first last’
Honesty -Trust, faith in yourself and others belief.
John 8:32 ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’
Resilience – Determination, tenacity, perseverance, aim high, conscientious, disciplined, independence, confidence, eagerness, hope, positive attitude, hardworking, enthusiastic, aspiration, curiosity.
Philippians 4:13 ‘I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength’
Respect – Safety, listening, valued, manner, thankfulness, responsibility, appearance, punctuality, attendance, healthy, taking care of property.
Matthew 7:12 ‘Do to others what you want them to do to you’