| Christian Value | Commitment |
|---|---|
| Friendship | God is our friend, everyone deserves friendship |
 Friendship is an undisputed value in our society, with children often spending more time with their friends than with family. It is a key concept in the Christian framework, with Jesus being criticised for being ‘the friend of sinners’ and eating with those whom society rejected. Sharing a meal with someone is an explicit sign of friendship and the word ‘companion’ literally means ‘one with whom you share bread.’ Jesus tells stories of the heavenly banquet to which all are invited. The barriers between people are broken down in a loving community around God and Jesus had stern words to say to those who refused to recognise that all are included in this community of friendship. |
|
| Respect | Love and value everyone as God does. |
 Respect is about valuing everyone and everything and celebrating our differences. We are all God’s people and we all matter. Respect involves taking responsibility for each other and speaking and interacting with others in a courteous manner. Matthew 7:12 says “Treat others as you would want them to treat you.” Respect is about being honest and trustworthy. It is about looking after belongings, equipment, the school and our environment. You gain respect by giving respect. |
|
| Perseverance | God will stay with you on the journey to your destination. |
 Perseverance is about having a go, trying your hardest even when things are difficult and not giving up. It is about embracing challenges, learning from your mistakes and forgiving yourself. It asks you to reflect on your efforts and achievements. Jesus encouraged his disciples to persevere, recognising that it isn’t always easy to do so. |
|
| Forgiveness | God’s love is so great that forgiveness is always possible |
 Forgiveness is fundamental to the character of God. Throughout the Bible, God is described as slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin (Numbers 14:18). Jesus was uncompromising in his command to forgive. Forgive, he said, ‘seventy times seven’ (Matthew 18:21). In other words, forgive and keep on forgiving without limit. Forgiveness was at the heart of everything he did and is at the heart of the Lord’s Prayer. When Jesus declared a person’s sins to be forgiven, it often aroused the anger of those who were less willing to forgive than he was and yet a prayer for the forgiveness of his persecutors was on Jesus’ lips as he died. Christian preaching has always put forgiveness at the centre. We forgive because we are forgiven. Paul says: ‘Be compassionate and kind to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ (Ephesians 4:32) |
|
| Compassion | Share in the life of others as Jesus did |
 ‘Compassion’ and ‘sympathy’ have much in common and both are stronger in meaning than simply ‘feeling sorry for’ someone. The words have their roots in the idea of ‘suffering with’ someone, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and experiencing what they experience. This leads to a desire to act, to do something. It is not patronizing. It is not about ‘doing good’ from a position of strength or ‘remembering those less fortunate than ourselves’. Compassion requires an act of imagination and humility to share in the lives of others. Notice the qualities that Paul links together. He says ‘clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.’ (Colossians 3:12) Jesus showed compassion towards the ‘harassed and helpless’ crowds (Matthew 9.36) and his works of healing were always prompted by compassion for people’s suffering. He wept at the death of Lazarus and was moved to act. |
|
| Hope | Foster your hopes and dreams and share these with God |
 The Christian understanding of hope illustrates how trivial our everyday use of the word can be. We hope that it will not rain for the picnic, or that the car will start or that the plumber will come tomorrow. At a deeper level, hope is a universal human phenomenon. People hope for peace in time of war; food in time of famine; justice in time of oppression. Where hope is lost there is despair and disintegration. Hope generates energy and sustains people through difficult times. For some people, hope is so strong that it inspires self-sacrifice to turn hope into reality. Hope is not always spontaneous or easy. There is work to be done. As well as trusting God, we have to develop qualities of steadfastness in our own character. Paul says: ‘We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.’ (Romans 5:3-4) Hope is coupled with faith and love as one of the three most enduring gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 13:13). |
|
Order of Values
- Friendship
- Respect
- Perserverance
- Forgiveness
- Compassion
- Hope
The order of the values enables our school to maximise the opportunity to link our collective worship time to key events in the school calendar. This supports the children to understand the ‘value in practice’. For instance, the value of respect in Term 2 links to remembrance and anti-bullying week and the value of hope in term 6 links to aspirations for the future. The order of the values also links to themes in our PSHE lessons, providing the children with the opportunities to discuss and reflect on each value as a class group.
