The Downs Vision and Values
School Mission and Values
Jesus said: “You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see.”
Matthew’s Gospel 5: 14 – 16
VISION STATEMENT:
At The Downs Church of England Primary School, we envision a community where every individual is empowered to radiate with God's light. Jesus said ‘you are the light of the world’. We are dedicated to enabling all children to recognize and share the inherent goodness within themselves.
Our school, symbolised by the Lighthouse, embodies the beacon of our faith. With unwavering aspirations, a nurturing atmosphere, and bespoke approaches, we embrace the philosophy that Nothing Is Impossible, fostering an environment where all can thrive and flourish.
Faith, Love, Compassion, Kindness, Respect & Forgiveness
Our values are theologically rooted within six Bible stories all of which inspire us to
Let our Lights Shine and to demonstrate that Nothing is Impossible.
Faith
Jesus walks on waterImmediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them. And early in the morning he came walking towards them on the lake. But when the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified, saying, ‘It is a ghost!’ And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’
Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water and came towards Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, ‘Lord, save me!’ Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, ‘You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ When they got into the boat, the wind ceased. And those in the boat worshipped him, saying, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
When Jesus said to Peter, 'You of little faith, why did you doubt?’ who was he accusing Peter of doubting?
Peter didn't doubt Jesus because, when he became scared, he cried out to Jesus to help him. Instead, Peter doubted himself. He doubted his own ability to do what Jesus told him to do. Jesus believed in Peter, but Peter did not believe in himself.
Reflect silently on your own levels of self-belief. Do you believe in yourself as much as your family, teachers and friends do or are you like Peter?
Matthew 14: v22-33
Comments from our children about the value of Faith:
Having faith in your friends to complete their goals
Believing you can do something
Trust everything is going to be alright
Faith is not something you can see, it's something you believe
Anything is possible, if you have a little faith
Faith is about believing in something and knowing in your heart that it is true, even when your mind can't find the answer
Faith means overcoming obstacles by believing in yourself and your abilities and never losing self belief
Forgiveness
"The Parable of the Lost Son"
Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate.” So he divided his property between them. ‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. ‘When he came to his senses, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.” So he got up and went to his father. ‘But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms round him and kissed him. ‘The son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” ‘But the father said to his servants, “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate. ‘Meanwhile, the elder son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. “Your brother has come,” he replied, “and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” ‘The elder brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, “Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!” ‘“My son,” the father said, “you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.
Luke 15: v11-32
Asking for and receiving forgiveness is an important part of school life. When we live and work together in a large community, we need to resolve differences and conflict quickly before they escalate out of control and cause bitterness or division. We forgive because God forgives us. Then, we need to move on.
Usually ‘sorry’ is the most difficult word for us. However, when we learn to say sorry to our parents, friends or teachers, it can make a huge difference.
Think about whether there is anyone you need to say sorry to today.
Comments from our children about the value of Forgiveness:
We would ask for forgiveness if we do something wrong, and to not do it again if we say “sorry”.
If someone bumps in to you by mistake, they might say sorry, and you can forgive them
Being friends with someone after they have said sorry
Showing forgiveness means accepting people's mistakes
Forgiveness is about accepting an apology, put the incident behind you, and let the person start again
Love
Parable of the Good Samaritan
In reply Jesus said: ‘A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” ‘Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?’The expert in the law replied, ‘The one who had mercy on him.
Luke 10: v30-36
It is important that we put that love into action. Taking an interest in others, putting yourself in their shoes and imagining their difficult situation is a challenge to all of us.
If you see someone who is hurt or upset, don’t just ignore them – either go and help them yourself or fetch an adult who can help.
Be prepared to help anyone, not just someone you like.
This is the example Jesus set and it was a good example to set
Comments from our children about the value of Love:
To give someone a cuddle
Love means caring for someone
Love means to look after each other
To share love, you just need to be kind
Love means being yourself and others not judging you.
Compassion
Jesus feeds the five thousandWhen Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.” Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said. And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Mark 6: v30-44
It doesn’t matter how small we are, how old we are, how much we have …… just a small action can make a big difference to someone’s day:
•Buying a cup of tea for a homeless person
•Organsing a fund raising event – selling some of our toys – to help some children
•Taking part in fund raising days and giving our loose change
If everyone did something this small; together we make a difference.
Just imagine what will happen if each of us sees need and responds to the desire to do something about it. Just imagine the miracles that will take place when we all just do it!
JUST DO IT! Remember showing compassion is not always about giving money………..
What do you have that you can give to others?
Time?
The gift of laughter and joy?
Friendship?
Creativity?
Money?
A smile?
Comments from our children about the value of Compassion:
To carry something for someone and to smile at others
If someone is left out of the game, we can ask them to join without expecting a reward
Looking after people who are ill and giving to charity
Caring about people, no matter that they look like and where they come from
To put yourself behind others and others in front of you
The innocent act of helping people we don't know
Compassion is showing all of our values — you help others when they are in need, and you sometimes donate to the less fortunate
You show pity or mercy to someone or something
Kindness
Zacchaeus: The Tax Collector
Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19: v1-10
Explain that Jesus said a lot about how we should treat others. He said, 'Always treat others as you want them to treat you.'
Luke 6:31
How can you show kindness today?
Try to think of one simple thing that you could do to be a kinder person today.
Comments from our children about the value of Kindness:
Kindness is to help someone complete their goals
Kindness means if your friend is sad and isn't playing with anyone on the playground, you can ask if they want to play
Helping and sharing with others
Kindness is about treating others how you wish to be treated
Show that you care by helping someone in the smallest or biggest ways — you can show kindness just by opening a door for someone
Respect
The Little Children and Jesus
People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
Mark 10: v13-16
Think about how we behave towards people who think, behave or look differently from us.
Are there times when we are intolerant of others?
Jesus welcomed all sorts of people into his group of friends: people who broke the law, people who nobody else liked, people who were not treated well by society.
How can we be welcoming, respectful and tolerant of everyone? How would Jesus like you to behave?
Comments from our children about the value of Respect:
Listen to your friends and teachers - look at them when they speak
We can respect school property — pick up things that have been dropped on the floor and put away even if it is not ours
Listening to others, being kind and caring
Treat others how you would want to be treated
To admire and appreciate others just for being them