Our Partnership of schools
St Andrew'sChurch of England Academy
School Vision and Values
Our Vision and Values
‘Learning together what is good and right.’
Job 34: 4
St Andrew’s C of E Primary School – a school family where we learn together what is good and right.
Church Statement
St Andrew’s is a Church of England Primary School in the Diocese of Exeter. The school and the local church, St Andrew’s, Buckland Monachorum, work in partnership to preserve and develop the school’s religious character in accordance with the principles and practice of the Church of England.
Our Vision
Our vision is to provide a happy atmosphere within a Christian framework where children learn together what is good and right. We believe that strong foundations are built through nurturing a loving environment where children feel safe, valued and inspired to learn. Our school values of LOVE, JOY, HOPE, RESILIENCE, RESPECT and FRIENDSHIP run through all aspects of school life.
Our guiding biblical verse, Job 34:4, says: “Let us choose for ourselves what is right; let us know among ourselves what is good.” This verse calls for shared discernment, unity and a collective search for truth. Elihu’s invitation to Job and his friends—to examine together what is right and good—reflects the heart of our school community. Our children know this verse in a simple, memorable way: “Learning together what is good and right.” It shapes how we learn, how we treat one another, and how we grow in wisdom.
At our school, we live out the Learning Academy Partnership’s vision inspired by John 10:10—“that they may have life, and have it to the full”—by nurturing an environment where every child can flourish academically, socially, and spiritually. This aligns seamlessly with our own school vision, drawn from Job 34:4. Together, these guiding principles shape a community where children are encouraged to explore their potential, make wise choices, and grow in character. By learning collaboratively, seeking what is good, and striving for what is right, our pupils are empowered to live life in all its fullness, becoming confident, compassionate individuals ready to contribute positively to the world around them.
We welcome all children—of any faith or no faith—to recognise their worth and unique potential; to embrace the opportunities offered by our enriched curriculum; to become reflective, resilient learners; and to develop a lifelong love of learning. We encourage every child to serve one another within the school and wider community, growing in compassion and character.
We aim to provide a happy, stimulating and rich learning environment in which every member of our community experiences equality of opportunity. We want our children to understand that they can positively influence their futures and, through their actions, words and deeds, become a positive force for change in the world.
Our Values
We aim to ‘follow in God’s footsteps’ and seek to express our life as a distinctive Christian Community by promoting, encouraging and modelling the following values:
LOVE
‘We love because He first loved us.’ 1 John 4.19
This is fundamental to school life. Within this value we consider compassion, care, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, consideration, loving enemies and forgiveness.
RESPECT
‘Do to others as you would have them do to you.’ Luke 6.31
Jesus modelled the importance of respecting all regardless of age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, emphasising the God-given dignity of every individual. This includes both self-respect and respect for others, their views and their property. Within this value, we consider fairness, tolerance, equality, diversity, trust, self-control and taking care with the thoughts and feelings of others.
RESILIENCE
‘And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.’ Hebrews 12.1-2
Jesus set the example of persevering and remaining resilient despite challenges and circumstances. For us, this means taking responsibility and trying to make good choices. When managing strong feelings, we try to think about how what we do and say will affect others and ourselves. Within this value, we consider determination, remaining patient when things don’t go as planned, bravery, persistence in the face of setbacks, how to learn from feedback or mistakes and to see effort as the path to learning or mastery.
HOPE
‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.’ Isaiah 40.31
Jesus set the example that we can out our hope and trust in God. Within this value, we also consider belief in God, self-belief, positivity, growth mind-set, dreams and achieving goals.
JOY
‘The joy of the Lord is your strength.’ Nehemiah 8.10
Joy, gratitude and thankfulness improves self-confidence, self-esteem and over all well-being. Christians believe that despite circumstances, the Lord is the source of joy. Within this value, we consider knowing the source of joy in life, choosing joy in setbacks, bringing joy to others, be thankful and looking at life with positivity.
FRIENDSHIP
‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ 1 Thessalonians 5.11
Jesus modelled the key principles of friendship and had 12 very close friends of his own. Within this value, we aim to develop how we care, show empathy, demonstrate compassion, trust one another or be trustworthy, show kindness, bring goodness, demonstrate faithfulness or loyalty, show gentleness or self-control and forgiveness.
School Charter: We all have a right to learn and be treated kindly or fairly. We all have a responsibility to respect the right of others to learn and be treated kindly. We all understand that the right choices are rewarding but the wrong choices can lead to negative consequences.
We will choose:
Kind Hearts, Kind Words, Kind Hands, Kind Feet, Kind Actions.