Our Church School -
Being a Church School
Our Christian Distinctiveness
At St Luke's Primary and Nursery School, we are deeply proud of our Christian ethos and the unique spirit that it brings to our educational environment. Our commitment to embodying Christian values is at the heart of everything we do. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive atmosphere where every child feels valued and inspired to develop not only academically but also spiritually and morally. Through our engaging curriculum and supportive community, we focus on nurturing responsible, compassionate individuals who are ready to contribute positively to the world around them.
Our school life is enriched with various activities that reinforce our Christian beliefs, including regular assemblies, community charity events, and special celebrations of the Christian calendar. These activities provide our students with a broader understanding of Christian teachings and the importance of kindness, respect, and empathy towards others. At St Luke's, we believe that our Christian distinctiveness guides our pupils in forming strong moral foundations, helping them to navigate the challenges of the modern world with integrity and confidence.
Spirituality at St Luke's
At St. Luke's, our pupils have defined spirituality as, 'Being guided, often by God, to connect to something that is bigger than ourselves.’ This
connection leads to a greater understanding of ourselves, others and the awesome world around us, causing us to wonder, reflect and take action. This aligns with the ‘Windows, Mirrors and Doors Model’, designed by Liz Mills, and is our favoured way of engaging in spiritual discussions. Our understanding of spirituality supports our vision statement, values and aims and is pertinent to all aspects of the curriculum, including RSHE, RE and Collective Worship. Read more...
Courageous Advocacy at St. Luke’s - Intent
Spirituality in St. Luke's Primary School
Summary of the Vision, Values and Aims
Collective Worship
At St Luke's Primary and Nursery, we cherish the spiritual development of our students as a cornerstone of our educational approach. Collective Worship is an integral part of our school life, providing a time for pupils to reflect, celebrate, and explore the values we hold dear. These sessions are carefully designed to be inclusive and relevant to all children, respecting the diverse backgrounds from which our school community is drawn. Our aim is to foster a sense of community and shared values, helping each child to develop a personal sense of spirituality and connection.
Our Collective Worship sessions occur daily and follow a structured yet flexible theme each week, allowing us to explore a wide range of topics such as kindness, perseverance, and respect. These themes are thoughtfully chosen to complement the educational goals of our school and to support the personal growth of our students. Parents are warmly invited to attend our special Celebration Assemblies held every Friday, where we come together to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and efforts of our students throughout the week.
Collective Worship overview
SIAMS
The Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) focuses on the impact of the Church school’s Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos.
SIAMS inspectors, therefore, do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.
The Evaluation Schedule has one inspection question: how effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish? This is explored through seven strands:
- Vision and Leadership
- Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills
- Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy
- Community and Living Well Together
- Dignity and Respect
- The impact of collective worship
- The effectiveness of religious education
One overall grade is awarded reflecting the contribution of these strands to the flourishing of pupils and adults in a Church school. We are delighted to share that St Luke's Primary School has been given a ‘Good’ rating in our most recent inspection and have therefore met all required standards of a Church of England School.
SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican & Methodist Schools) report, April 2019
"A biblically rooted set of Christian values is understood and lived out across the school community, which impacts very positively on behaviour and attitudes."
SIAMS letter from The Venerable Robin King, Archdeacon of Stansted
RE at St Luke's
Church of England Statement of Entitlement
The Church of England Statement of Entitlement outlines the expectations of the Church of England Education Office in relation to Religious Education. For more information, please visit:
Church of England Statement of Entitlement
re statement of entitlement for church schools.pdf
Our Church Links
We are very lucky to have strong links with St.Luke's Church Canning Town, Reverend Amy, and the church community. We aim to ensure our pupils get to know the church well, both as part of their studies and through whole school services throughout the year. Our church-based Collective Worship team come in to school to deliver collective worship sessions on a weekly basis. Over the years we have built great relationships with the team and consider them to be a vital pillar to our school and our community.
To find out more please visit their website - https://www.stlukese16.co.uk/