Froxfield CE School as a Church School

Founded – and flourishing – as a Church School

At Froxfield we are proud to be a Church of England primary school – that is how we were founded 150 years ago, and being a church school is still very much part of our DNA, impacting every aspect of life in our school community.

C of E church schools have always been for all children in the community which they serve – they are not exclusive, selective or doctrinaire. Their responsibility is to provide the best education possible for children of all faiths and none. Froxfield School’s founding Trust Deed puts it in these terms: the School must “serve its community by providing education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice”. The School must “encourage an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promote Christian values through the experience it offers all its pupils”.

How as a Church School we build our school community – our Vision and Christian Values

Our Vision for our School expresses our aspiration to provide, in a manner appropriate to the 21st Century, an education for our children which fulfils those terms on which the School was founded:

We build a learning community where our children will realise their individual potential. They will develop the value of love, having respect for themselves, others and God’s Earth. Our children will have the courage to stand up for what is right and challenge injustice, preparing them as compassionate global citizens of the future.

The basis of our ethos is our three chosen Christian Values of love, respect and courage. Our aim is that those Values should underpin all aspects of school life – the way the children are educated, how their potential is fulfilled, the behaviour of everyone in the school community, and the example and standards for life which are set.  All the children in the School know these Values – they are foundations for living a rich, caring and purposeful life.

Our connection with the parish church

Our parish church is St Peter’s, High Cross, directly across the road from the School, and we value the close connection we have with the church, which appoints two of our Governors.

It is a particular feature of Froxfield School that the children are regular visitors each week to the parish church for their Collective Worship and special services through the year – and indeed, the church is the venue for our school plays and concerts. The vicar or a member of the church congregation will lead some of the Collective Worship and special services.

We have joint parish/school initiatives, including the Reverse Advent Calendar in support of the PACT Foodbank, and joint services (such as Mothering Sunday and Carol Services).  The children have been invited into the church by the parish to “Experience Church”, “Experience Easter”, and (for the older children), “Experience Eucharist”.  We know from talking to the children that they value this close connection with the church building – not least as a place of calm and reflection separate from the “busy-ness” of the classroom and playground.

In addition, the School is supported by the Diocesan Board of Education for the two diocese of Portsmouth and Winchester.  The DBE offers a wealth of experience in assisting C of E church schools with resources, training and encouragement.  Each year we participate in the special diocesan project for Year 6 children which culminates in a service in Portsmouth Cathedral led by the Bishop for all church school Year 6 children, sending them on their way into secondary schools.

Collective Worship

School Collective Worship takes place daily and is based on Christian foundations and principles. Worship in our School is a special time for reflecting upon the common values of the School community, bringing the School together, and promoting a sense of belonging. It helps pupils develop a sense of spirituality in the world around them and beyond, and to reflect on themes and issues which relate to them.

Collective Worship also introduces children to features of Church of England worship (including traditional hymns and modern worship songs, and the cycle of seasons in the church year).

Once every half-term one of the classes will lead Collective Worship. In addition, the major festivals of Easter, Harvest and Christmas are celebrated with a church service led by the children, and we say farewell to our Year 6 children with a Leavers’ Service. Parents and friends are welcomed to join in Collective Worship and special services held in the church.

Developing a sense of spirituality

We seek to nurture in our children an inquisitiveness about the world around them and it wonders – life beyond the material things.  We introduce them to thinking about their own inner lives; the ways in which our own lives are enhanced by relationships with others (what we can offer, and what we receive); the ways in which the wonders of creation – both natural and the creativity of humankind – expand and enrich our individual lives; and how the mystery of life itself and our response to that mystery gives us a sense of awe and humility as we contemplate things beyond our experience and imagination.  We are sensitive in introducing children to these questions in an age-appropriate way, with the aim of giving them a foundation in their young lives for their own exploration and development as they grow and mature physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

Church School inspection

Every church school is inspected, every five years, by the Church of England education authorities to ensure that the school is fulfilling its education responsibilities as a church school. That inspection is rigorous and wide-ranging, taking in the ethos, leadership, pastoral care and spiritual well-being of the entire school community.  This church school inspection is, of course, in addition to the periodic OFSTED school inspection.