Dilton Marsh CofE Primary School

Christian principles are the foundation of our mission, ethos, and curriculum as a Church of England school. We actively encourage the growth of Christian principles and civic virtues, preparing students for life in a global society. The school's ideals are visible in every classroom and the hallway, and they are ingrained throughout the curriculum. All 6 values lead our expectations, behaviour and work at all times, however we choose one value per term as a main focus for Worship and to enable us to think deeper to understand how the value relates to us. We reinforce the term's chosen value every day through our group worship. The youngsters are given the chance to consider the value's Christian meaning and how they might put it into practise in their daily lives during group worship. This can be accomplished by using symbols, storytelling, and music. Children are encouraged to be involved in the collective worship, whether it is led by the head teacher, class based or led by visitors to the school from the local churches. Children are given a period of calm and introspection during the communal worship. By urging students to quietly listen to and reflect on what they have just heard, this can be cultivated. Students can take in and respond to the key concepts regarding the term's value during the reflection period at their own pace. There is no pressure to practise idolatry or go against one's own views. Our "Value exhibit" in the hallway features a list of our Christian Values. The symbol of a tree, shown on our motto and through our prayer tree, was chosen as it links to our Motto; Learning together, Growing together. We are a member of the Acorn Education Trust, and all of our classes have names of British trees.