Church School life
"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thessalonians 5:11
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We are a small village school in the beautiful, community-minded village of Brightwell cum Sotwell. We are an inclusive school where all members of our school family are valued as individuals and for the contributions they make. Our children enjoy coming to school and our Christian ethos ensures that they learn and grow together successfully, understanding the importance of supporting one another to achieve their full potential. Everything we do as a school is underpinned by our school values and our drive to ensure that every child flourishes as they develop a life-long love of learning.
Our school values, as can be seen on our 'Vision and Values' page, were chosen through contributions from the entire Brightwell School community ready for the start of the 2023-24 academic year. Each half term sees a focus on one value which is explored in class as well as in our collective worships. Each value can be reflected upon by all of our students, regardless of their beliefs and strives for not only a life-long love of learning but so that we add value to our local community and wider society. Classes have their own 'reflection' or 'quiet space' that children can use.
Whilst we are a Church of England School, our values ensure we teach children to respect other worldwide religions and beliefs and to understand the value of ‘faith.’ You can find out more about our Religion and World View curriculum and how it is delivered on our curriculum page.
Our church, St Agatha's, is in walking distance from the school which means we are able to regularly participate in many of the church festivals throughout the year, including Harvest, Remembrance Day, Christmas and Easter. We also enjoy a special 'leavers' service at the end of the summer term for our Year 6 children and their families, followed by services at the church for the whole school. During the rest of the year, we have the vicar, as well as other local pastors, come and deliver regular collective worship in our school hall.
Service is of utmost importance as we always seek ways in which to teach children about ‘caring for others.’ At Harvest, we collect donations of food which are then passed on to the Wallingford Food bank for distribution to those families who need it most and we show support for locally or nationally recognized charities through fundraising events - our children are also often inspired to do their own fundraising activities outside of school in order to support charities close to their own hearts!
Please see our churches page for more information about St Agatha's and St James' in Sotwell.
Useful documents and websites:
Valuing All God's children document 2019
Governance in The Diocese of Oxford
The Oxford Diocesan Board of education (ODBE) website
Church of England Education Office website
Related school documents:
Collective Worship policy (currently being reviewed and updated)
Religion and World Views policy (currently being reviewed and updated)
Our School Prayer (currently being reviewed and updated)
SMSC and Spiritual Development policy (currently being reviewed and updated)
Mental Health and Wellbeing policy (currently being reviewed and updated)
Our links with the church
Remembrance Services 2024
Donations made on behalf of the school for Harvest 2024
Visited by BeSpace in January 2024
