'I have come in order that you might have life - life in all its fullness.' John 10:10

At Worksop Priory C of E Primary Academy, Christian values are at the heart of our work to ensure that every child lives life in all its fullness. It is our ability to centre every decision we make - and action we take - around these values that enables us to provide a distinctly Christian education for our pupils.

Our core values that we live in our school, in our community and in the wider world are: Love, Respect, Trust, Hope, Truth and Joy.

Within our school motto, 'Dream, build, grow' we expand these words into phrases as follows:

Dream

Aspiring to learn with courage and faith, so we can live life in all its fullness.

Build

Inviting the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey through life

Grow

Share the power of our deepening faith through discipleship and service in our school, the community and the wider world

There are a number of main aspects of our work where the distinctively Christian values are at play:

Collective Worship

Collective Worship happens daily. It is a staple of Priory life. Themes are chosen which  allow a distinctively Christian message to be shared with pupils throughout each week, which permeates across the school. Whilst the themes themselves might not always be directly Christian, they always contain an opportunity to reflect on how Christians may choose to interpret them. For example, in looking at famous historical figures who might be able to inspire us to better things, children look at bible characters who promote similar inspiration. In looking at 'Choices', children study bible passages to help them draw conclusions about how God would like them to respond.

Worship always begins with the lighting of a candle, to mark the presence of God amongst the Priory Family. Worship always includes a time of prayer, where children are invited to reflect on the messages of the Worship and offer their own prayers to God.

Christian songs are chosen to reflect the themes of the Worship.

Children take part in a half-termly Eucharist in school, where they celebrate Mass with the incumbent or curate.

Links with Priory Church

Links with Priory Church are strong and this helps the Academy take its Christian message beyond the school grounds. At the start of each term, pupils enjoy a service at Priory Church and often make visits to other events. The youngest children attend Wiggly Worship frequently, whilst older children contribute to services involving the regular Priory congregation.

A member of the Priory clergy attends school each week to deliver Collective Worship.

At the start of their full-time education, pupils are given a children's bible, which they use periodically in school. When they leave, they are presented with an adult version, which we hope they will continue to use in the future.

Behaviour policy

As part of our behaviour policy, we ensure that pupils have the opportunity to say sorry for the things they have done that they regret. We practise Restorative Justice, which enables pupils to see the consequences of their actions, empathise and ultimately be forgiven.

Prayer spaces

Each class has a dedicated space for prayer and reflection. Children are encouraged to use these spaces at appropriate times of the day. They consist of artefacts, books and displays.

School Choir

The school employs the organist of Priory Church to run the school choir. The school choir often perform at Priory Church. When they sing elsewhere, their repertoire includes a number of Christian pieces.