Church of England

Abbey CE Academy is a Church of England school, and forms part of the Diocese of Peterborough. Our church values permeate all aspects of our school and forms a strong moral and ethical compass for all pupils of the Christian faith and other faiths to follow. We accept pupils of all faiths, but we do follow the values and virtues of the Christian faith (although there is a lot of cross over with other faiths).

As part of the Peterborough Diocese Abbey Church of England Academy, follows The Diocese of Peterborough Syllabus for Religious Education. This syllabus incorporates Understanding Christianity: Text, Impact and Connections. This syllabus offers a well-rounded education of world views.

We have strong links with our community and Holy Cross Church. Rev Dawn delivers collective worship every Thursday to the whole school.

You can find out more about Holy Cross Church here: https://www.holycrosschurchdaventry.org.uk

Our Vision

Together, anything is possible

"Everything is possible for one who believes, Mark 9:23"

Our vision is to create an environment where all are proud of their achievements and prepared to be confident, happy, life-long learners who make a positive contribution to their world and experience life in all its fullness.

Our Values
AMBITION We try to be the best we can be. ‘He has filled them with skill to do all manner of work.’ Exodus 35 v35	We use imagination to help our students discover their talents and a love of learning through new experiences.
COMPASSION We take action to show we care. ‘Therefore, as God’s chosen people… clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience’ Colossians 3 v12	We care for others and positively act against injustice and inequality.
COURAGE Nothing holds us back. ‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us’ Hebrews 12 v1	We have high expectations, encouraging our students to achieve with courage and determination.
INTEGRITY We make the right choices. ‘The seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it and patiently produce a huge harvest.’ Luke 8 v15	We always do what is right, even when it is challenging and difficult.
RESPECT We always lead by example. ‘Show proper respect to everyone’ 1 Peter 2 v17	We lead our lives as great role models in our school and communities.
ASPIRATION We aim high all the time. ‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you might overflow with hope’ Romans 15 v13	We raise aspirations and inspire ambitions, giving our students the confidence and knowledge for life in a rapidly changing world

Christian Distinctiveness

As a Church of England Academy within the Diocese of Peterborough, we strive to nurture the whole child: mind, body and spirit.

Our Christian foundation is at the heart of our ethos and our aim is for that to come through not only in what we teach but how.

We have a strong, productive and supportive relationship with the local church and there are many opportunities for children and adults to support their local community, as well as consider their role within the wider world.

Christian Values

One of the key themes in the last few years is how Christian Values are intrinsic to our lives.

The children have had the opportunity to explore them through a “collapsed curriculum” day, to reflect on them during Collective Worship and to consider how they have an impact on daily life in the classroom.

We want the children to leave the Abbey Church of England Academy knowing that they can have a positive impact on the world, and start living the values and attitudes that will change society for the better.

Courageous Advocacy

Our Christian values and Collective Worships enable pupils at Abbey CE Academy to develop a greater awareness of the challenges faced by others in their lift and how they can support causes and make a difference in our school community, local community and further afield. Children and adults are encouraged to live our values out of school. We have children who have grown and cut their hair for the Princess Trust. One pupil also did jobs and saved her pocket money to buy products for the Daventry Foodbank.

Spirituality

Spirituality is a difficult concept to articulate because this is a very personal experience. It relates to each child’s quest for discovering their individual identity and for them to develop an understanding of their purpose in life. It leads towards an understanding of self and others. It has to do with feelings, emotions, attitudes and beliefs. It is not linked to a particular doctrine or faith and spiritual development is therefore accessible to everyone. Children are encouraged to ask 'Big questions' around all areas of the curriculum to help understand what they believe to be important.

At the Abbey, everyone is given opportunities to reflect upon the meaning of spiritual experiences. Examples of experiences commonly regarded as spiritual include:

Curiosity and questions
Awe and wonder
Connection and belonging
Caring for nature and living things
Prayer and worship
A sense of security, well-being, worth and purposefulness

Our school supports children’s spiritual development by:

Giving children the opportunity to explore values and beliefs, including religious beliefs, and the way in which these beliefs impact on people’s lives
Encouraging children to explore and develop what animates themselves and others
Giving children the opportunity to understand human feelings and emotions, they way they impact on people and how an understanding of these emotions can be helpful throughout our lives
Developing an ethos within which all children can grow and flourish
Appreciating difference and respecting the integrity of individuals, including acceptance of those with different faiths and beliefs
Promoting learning opportunities which value children’s questions, encourage deeper questions and give them space for their own thoughts, ideas and concerns.

Collective Worship

All are welcome to Collective Worship at the Abbey CE Academy. Every member of our school community can lead, contribute and participate in Collective Worship as much as they feel they can. All are invited to contribute and say their own prayers. Our worships reflect our vision, "Together, anything is possible" because they are inclusive, invitational and inspiring.