St. Anne’s Flourishing Strategy
How does flourishing promote a child’s spiritual development?
At St. Anne’s, flourishing is an integral part of our identity, both individually and mutually. As a foundation school, our inspiration derives from the Bible regardless of our beliefs, as the Bible holds life lessons and morals that are appropriate for all, such as community flourishing. This flourishing connects with a child’s and adult’s spiritual development. At St. Anne’s, we believe that spirituality is about an awareness that there is something greater than ourselves and this is often witnessed through our own experiences, religious beliefs, and practices. We believe spirituality enriches individuals in their understanding of their own well-being, and ability how this relates to others and society as a whole. We recognise that the development of spirituality is important for everyone regardless of their faith and background.
From the Bible, we have chosen a passage from Matthew’s Gospel that encapsulates everything that we are striving to achieve through our individual and mutual flourishing; the Parable of the Mustard Seed. “ He [Jesus] put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’” Matthew 13:31-32
This parable identifies growth that starts small (the seed), but as time progresses, becomes a secure network of stability (tree trunk), which provides support and comfort for others (branches and leaves). In the parable, we are told that the tree becomes a sanctuary for the ‘birds of the air,’ here showing diversity, inclusion, and tolerance for all.
Our St. Anne’s Flourishing Strategy is broken into four key areas, which interlink with each other; Christian Values, Unicef Articles, Spirituality Focus (through SpaceMakers spirituality programme), and British Values. Together with our Flourishing Strategy and our Vision and Mission Statements, we are both individually and mutually ‘Growing Together as a Family of God.’
Our Vision: for our children to be independent, motivated, and confident learners who aspire to achieve their full potential within our friendly Christian school community.Our Mission: to provide a caring and spiritually supportive environment in which mutual respect, equality, and responsibility are valued by all.