“Let Your Light Shine” Matthew 5:16

School Vision

Inspiring everyone to aspire, create and achieve – and let their light shine.

Christian Values

Our six ‘Core Christian Values’ are intrinsic to our school:

Trust

We nurture a culture of trust where children feel safe, valued, and confident to grow in character and learning.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart”.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Perseverance

We support and educate our pupils and staff to help build their resilience and give them the tools and confidence to never give up and reach their full potential regardless of ability, background and circumstance.

“Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love him”.

James 1:2

Service

We believe in serving others with kindness, humility, and a generous heart—making a positive difference in our community and beyond.

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

1 Peter 4:10

Courage

We encourage our pupils to be brave in the face of challenges, to stand up for what is right, and to persevere even when the path is difficult.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go”.

Joshua 1:9

Aspiration

We inspire every child to dream big, aim high, and believe in their ability to grow, achieve, and flourish—both academically and personally.

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me”

Philippians 3:14

Compassion

We teach our children to show empathy, kindness, and care for others—building a community rooted in love and understanding.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Ephesians 4:32

British Values

Our aim at Hurst Green School is to encourage pupils to develop and demonstrate skills and attitudes that will allow them to participate fully in and contribute positively to life in Britain. We actively promote the fundamental British Values and this forms part of our wider work in school with children in relation to their Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education (SMSC).

The British Values, as defined by the government, are :

Democracy    The Rule of Law    Individual Liberty    Mutual Respect   Tolerance of different Faiths and Beliefs

We teach a broad and balanced curriculum that teaches elements of democracy, rules and laws, the monarchy, equality, values and virtues, environmental awareness and understanding of different faiths. Actively promoting British Values also refers to challenging pupils, staff or parents expressing opinions contrary to fundamental British Values. At Hurst Green, values of tolerance and respect permeate all areas of school life. This creates a climate within which pupils feel safe and secure and therefore allows them to learn and develop. Pupil voice plays an integral part in driving the schools forward.

These British Values are promoted throughout the curriculum, across the whole school. They are also seen in the school ethos, policies, assemblies, special events and cultural celebrations. The following are a selection of activities that are evidence of our commitment to British Values.

We teach children about Democracy through:

• Children being involved in democratic processes e.g. voting for pupil councillors, rewards and incentives
• School council
• Discussing issues and forming opinions

We teach children about Rule of Law through:

• School behaviour policy
• Class rewards
• Head Teacher Awards
• End of year awards
• Class rules
• Visits from the police

We teach children about Individual Liberty through:

• Understanding responsibility in school in terms of behaviour and learning attitudes (well-being and learning zones)
• Pupil roles in school – school councillors, collective worship leaders, year 6 buddies
• School values
• Local and national fundraising
• Community links – singing at the village hall, taking harvest gifts to local people.
• Assembly – school council/ people who help us
• Challenging stereotyping and bias
• Antibullying
• Sports values

We teach children about Mutual Respect through:

• PSHE  curriculum and assemblies
• Positive relationships encouraged and modelled
• Inclusive ethos
• RE curriculum
• School council
• Sports Day
• Participation in Rother Sports competitions with other schools
• Trips – wider community
• Visitors
• Peer assessment
• Collaboration with other schools through our academy trust

We teach children about Tolerance through:

• Links with other schools
• Collective Worship – stories from world faiths and cultures
• RE curriculum
• Reflection opportunities in assemblies
• School curriculum
• Inclusive school
• Special assemblies – Harvest, Christmas, Remembrance Day
• Life Skills lessons