CHRISTIAN LIFE AT HILLESLEY

Our vision, based on our School’s Christian values, is to provide a welcoming, nurturing environment for learning at the hearth of our community.  Together, we provide a solid foundation of growth, appreciating each child with their God-given uniqueness and individual needs, thus empowering them to become responsible and fulfilled members of society.

As a Church of England Voluntary Aided (CEVA) school we aim to provide our pupils, including those of other faiths and no faith, with a high quality education within the context of Christian beliefs and practices.

We encourage an understanding of the meaning of faith and promote Christian values in all aspects of school life.

The care and spiritual development of our pupils takes place in a safe and sharing way.

Staff lead by example creating a calm, safe and guided environment for the pupils – Hillesley pupils describe the school as ‘friendly’, ‘cosy and homely’, ‘fun’, ‘happy’, ‘exciting’, ‘calm’ and ‘hopeful’ and ‘bright’.

Here is an extract from a letter from a previous Bishops’s Visitor who visited the school. 

“I was shown round the school and learnt a great deal as I listened to my three young guides. They are very proud of the school, and were keen to show me work, displays and to explain all that is around to aid them with their learning.  It is clear that there is at least one member of your staff  who is very creative and has captured the interest and imagination of all the children. There were some lovely examples of work on show. They showed me the quiet area where the value of the term is displayed, the wonder wall and were able to explain the way in which the friendship bench is used.

The two groups of children who met with your foundation governor and Revd Russell were just super! They were keen to share together and to engage with him in the discussion. I appreciated the way in which they gave considered and thoughtful answers to questions. They were also able to speak about prayer and the opportunities they have in school to reflect and to be quiet. The children appear very happy, confident and safe in their school environment.

It was good to be able to share the act of worship which Revd Russell led during the morning. The children responded very well and obviously enjoyed being involved in the retelling of the Good Samaritan.  They were all sure about the value they are considering this term – trust.  They had a good understanding of how the values enable them to show care and respect to others, and how they help them to live their lives thinking of others. The children are able to speak easily and naturally about Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit. They are aware that the values are important in their lives and in the life of the school community, and based firmly on the Christian faith.”