Belton All Saints C of E Primary School- Christian Distinctiveness
Be bold, be strong, for the Lord your God is with you
(Joshua 1.9)
Belton All Saints is distinctively Christian in both our ethos and outlook. Our motto reflects our desire for all who join us to grow personally, academically and spiritually. We are an inclusive school and welcome those of all faiths, and none, to grow with us and to become respectful, responsible and reflective young people. At the heart of our school are our core Christian values of Trust, Perseverance, Wisdom, Love and Hope. These values influence our curriculum, our relationships and our provisions and you will be able to recognise these influences when you speak to us or visit our school.
Religious Education in our school
At Belton All Saints, we teach Religious Education by meeting the requirements of the North Lincolnshire Agreed Syllabus, supported by the materials from Understanding Christianity.
The Local Agreed RE Syllabus can be found here:
Our aim is to engage, encourage, inspire and challenge children, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to explore ‘big’ questions as well as preparing them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of adult life.
We believe that all children, through developing and deepening their understanding of Christianity and other religions including world views, should leave our school being able to reflect on and express their own beliefs and values including engaging with ‘big’ questions whilst at the same time recognise and celebrate cultural diversity showing sensitivity and respect for other people’s beliefs. Religious Education at our school enables our pupils to grow spiritually, morally, socially and culturally. It is taught progressively throughout our school, ensuring knowledge and skills are built upon. Links are made with other curriculum areas, particularly PSHE and our core Christian values are embedded within along with British Values which enable children to participate positively within an ever-changing society and world.
An example of one of the Bishop's letters can be found here: Bishop's Letters - Diocese of Lincoln Board of Education (lincolndiocesaneducation.com)
Life in our Church School
Our core Christian values, which are at the heart of everything we do, are displayed prominently around school. A different value is the key focus each half term. We spend time discussing the value in class and share stories about Jesus living out the value during worship time. The children reflect by writing their own prayers, sharing their thoughts about how that value can be lived out in today’s world. Each week a different child shares one of their prayers during worship time and it is included in the school’s newsletter so it can be shared with parents.
We have dedicated areas for prayer and reflection. This is often linked to the current core Christian value. Recently, we have had a whole school focus on The Lord’s Prayer. We gave the children time and space to think about what each line in the prayer means, how it is relevant today and what the words mean to us.
Throughout the week, we meet together as a school to be part of collective worship. Our collective worship takes the form of: Gather - Welcome - Learn – Reflect – Respond.
It is always a pleasure to be joined by different members of the church community during the year. Reverend Cliffe from Belton All Saints Church is a regular visitor. Throughout the year, each class has the opportunity to lead collective worship. There are opportunities throughout the year for parents to be part of their child’s class worship too.
A candle is lit at the beginning of every worship which serves as a focal point and a reminder that God is always there even though we cannot see Him.
Ks2 pupils enjoy being worship group leaders and organise the hall ready for worship. During worship time they take an active part by organising the music, lighting the candle and leading in prayer and reflection.
Remembrance Day- laying poppies with ex-service men and women from our community.