St Martin’s is a Church of England School.
Church Schools have Christian beliefs and values at their heart. This means that every child and adult associated with the school is not just important because they are members of the school but also because they are seen as unique individuals within God’s creation.
The purpose of Church Schools has always been to enable all children to flourish by ‘providing education and by developing their moral character’. It was always intended that Church Schools should be open to all of the children of the parish. Church Schools are not ‘faith schools’ in the sense of presuming that children are practising Christians or attempting to make converts of them. Although we live in an increasingly secular society, the values of our country have their roots in the Christian faith. Church Schools continue to celebrate this as an aspect of the heritage which enables them to be successful places of learning for children of all faiths and none.
The ethos of St Martin’s, as a Church of England School, is based on distinctively Christian values (please see our school values page) and we offer children an experience of faith through collective worship and links with the parish church. At St Martin’s children join together to take part in collective worship everyday as follows:
- Monday – whole school worship,
- Tuesday – class worship or key stage worship,
- Wednesday – whole school worship,
- Thursday – class worship or key stage worship,
- Friday – whole school worship to celebrate successes from the week (friends and family are invited to join this worship).
We work closely with St Martin’s Church and value the benefits this relationship brings to the children. Members of the church regularly join us for our collective worship. We also visit the church to give thanks and celebrate at key times of the church year including St Martin's Day, Christmas and Easter.
Around our school, you will find signs and symbols which reflect the Christian heritage on which the school is built. There are also areas for reflection which contain school prayers and prayers that the children have created themselves.
Like in all Church Schools, Religious Education at St Martin’s includes teaching about other faiths as well as Christianity.