Vision & Values

Our Christian Vision

Colliers Green is a family. We are a small rural school set in beautiful surroundings, where everyone feels welcomed and valued. We provide a caring, supportive and calm learning environment, rooted in our Christian values of aspiration, resilience and community. We encourage and nurture our children to flourish, and grow into their potential and achieve academic success, becoming compassionate individuals and valued citizens of God's world.

Jeremiah 17:8

They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

We asked our families what they thought of Colliers Green, and from their responses, we have produced this lovely graphic - our 'vision tree'

Our Values

Our vision and values are at the core of everything we do. They underpin our teaching and learning to help create an environment which prepares our pupils for the wider-world as confident, happy and caring citizens.

Aspiration:

At Colliers Green we want children to aspire to be the people God created them to be. By encouraging children to 'reach for the sky' we are teaching them to aim high and to live life in all its fullness by discovering their own unique gifts and talents to make a difference in the world.

We aspire to live out the Kingdom of God, shining out the love of Christ by loving our neighbours, caring for the needy and supporting each individual person.

We want our children to aspire to make a difference in the world around them rather than searching for material success. We encourage children to honour God’s creation by living in hope and channelling peace.

The Value of Aspiration is summed up St Paul in the Memory verse:

“I can do all things through God who gives me strength.”

^{Philippians Chapter 4, Verse 13}

Resilience:

Our school may be small, but we need to prepare our children for the big wide world. We aim to help them see challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities to grow and develop.

How does having 'deep roots' help us?

•Staying Strong in a Storm: Imagine a big, windy storm. A tree with shallow roots can be easily blown over because there's not much holding it in the ground. A tree with deep roots, however, is firmly anchored. The roots spread out and go deep into the earth, holding the tree in place no matter how hard the wind blows. This is like when we have a strong foundation of positive thoughts and good friends. When things get difficult, these things hold us up and keep us from "falling over."

•Finding What You Need: When the weather is dry and there's no rain, the topsoil gets very dry. A tree with shallow roots can't find any water and might start to wilt. But a tree with deep roots can reach way down into the ground where the water is stored. These roots act like straws, helping the tree drink even when it's dry on the surface. For us, our deep roots are things like kindness, courage, perseverance and faith. When we face a tough challenge, these qualities help us find the strength we need to keep going, even when we feel a bit "dry" or tired.

•Growing Tall and Healthy: Trees with deep roots aren't just good at surviving storms and droughts; they also grow taller and stronger. The deep roots can pull up all the good things from the soil that help the tree grow, like minerals and nutrients. In the same way, when we have strong roots, we can learn from our challenges and use them to grow. Each time we bounce back from a setback, we get a little stronger, a little wiser, and a little more resilient. We learn that we can handle tough things, which helps us grow into the best version of ourselves.

Through teaching the value of resilience we aim to help the children understand the importance of looking after and loving oneself by nurturing and developing their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual strength.

If children are aware that they’re not on their own; that they can ask God for wisdom in their decision making, this gives them a sure foundation on which to face those challenges as they grow up.

The Value of Resilience is summed up by St Paul in the Memory verse:

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”

^{2 Timothy Chapter 1, Verse 7}

Community:

Community runs like a heartbeat through our small school. It is a nurturing and supportive network where everyone matters much like a family.

By recognising that 'we grow together', we acknowledge that all members of the community are developing in their own way, but also that we become closer over time. Our Christian Vision states that Colliers Green 'is a family', and for us, this idea of being there for one another, loving and supporting one another, even when times are hard, is fundamental to the culture of our school.

The Value of Community is summed up by St Paul in the Memory verse:

“Let us hold resolutely to the hope we confess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds.”

^{Hebrews Chapter 10, Verse 23 & 24}