Our Values

St. Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy is committed to the safeguarding of all our pupils.

St Nicholas Church of England Primary Academy believes that all pupils, their families and the wider community should be given every opportunity to fulfil their potential through education. We recognise that everyone is unique. By respecting and encouraging the individual we aim to produce confident, independent thinkers and learners able to respond positively to an ever changing world.

Christian values underpin all aspects of the academy.

St Nicholas CE Primary Academy is a ‘values based community’, committed to the education of the whole child. The Values have been adopted by all of the stakeholders and are based on Christian principles aimed at developing children to become both successful learners and valued members of society. Our values are:

At St Nicholas we believe everyone needs values to guide them through life. Without values we have no anchor, nothing on which to base our decisions and priorities and we recognise the huge role parents have to play in helping us embed our values.

We teach our values through everything we do and through our daily Acts of Worship and PSHE curriculum. Values displays are prominent within the school environment in the belief that a good education gives us the chance to live longer, enjoy success, create life chances, provide for a family and much more. We are confident every parent and carer wants these for their children. Our values are not just for show; they are at the very heart of everyone and everything at St Nicholas CE Primary Academy.
One of the characters in the New Testament is the man the apostles nicknamed “Barnabas”—the son of encouragement. It is a fitting name, as we see him actively encouraging a young follower of Christ and a young church. His encouragement gives us an example to follow in encouraging one another in our own relationships, which as a school is something we strive to do daily.

Our values as actions in the story and life of Barnabas

How the story of Barnabas links with our Christian values and school vision

Barnabas was a wealthy young Jew when he first came across Christians living near him. He admired the communities they lived in, which were full of examples of love and kindness. It was his ambition to become a part of their community. He asked the Christians how they managed to live so harmoniously and they explained that they wanted to live as Jesus had done so they could be their very best as God intended for them.

Barnabas wanted to earn their friendship, trust and respect so that he could become a part of their community. He went home and explained what he wanted to his family; he sold all his belongings so that he had something to offer his new friends and fulfil his ambition to become one of them. He offered them his money and they decided who would benefit most from his kindness and generosity and he happily gave it away.

Barnabas and Paul became great friends after Barnabas introduced Paul to the rest of Jesus’ disciples. Barnabas always encouraged Paul to carry on with his work, spreading the work of God far and wide and went with him on his journeys. At times, it wasn’t always easy to be a Christian but Barnabas always persevered and always nurtured and encouraged others to follow their belief in God.

Then when he arrived (at Antioch) and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. Acts 11:23

In addition to our main 6 values, we encourage the children to 'Be a Barnabas' everyday. Following the teachings of St Barnabas, we encourage all of our children, staff and parents to be encouraging towards one another to enable everybody to flourish.

This is the ‘How we live out our school values’ document, which was written by the worship leaders during one of their meetings.

Click on any image to find out more.

Ambition

Community

Perseverance

Friendship

Respect

Trust

Ambition

The value of ambition is introduced through the ‘Parable of the Talents’.

Matthew 25:14-28

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest.

28 “So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”    Matthew 5:6

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Community

The value of community is taught through the story of ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand.’

Matthew 14:13-21

When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns.  When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.  As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a remote place, and it’s already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food.”  Jesus replied, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”  “We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Bring them here to me,” he said.  And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.  They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.  The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.

 “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another.”  Hebrews 10:24-25

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Perseverance

The value of Perseverance is introduced through the ‘Parable of the Lost Sheep.’

Luke 15:3-7

Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”  Galatians 6:9

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Friendship

The value of Friendship is taught through the story of ‘The healing of the paralysed man’

Luke 5:17-20

17 On one of the days while Jesus was teaching, some proud religious law-keepers and teachers of the Law were sitting by Him. They had come from every town in the countries of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was there to heal them. 18 Some men took a friend who was not able to move his body to Jesus. He was carried on a bed. They looked for a way to take the man into the house where Jesus was. 19 But they could not find a way to take their friend in because of so many people. They made a hole in the roof over where Jesus stood. Then they let the bed with the sick man on it down before Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the man, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up,” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

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Respect

The value of respect is introduced through the ‘Parable of the Good Samaritan.’

Luke 10:25-37

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’[b]”

28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbour?”

30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he travelled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbour to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”  Philippians 2:3

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Trust

The value of trust is introduced by the story of ‘Jesus calming the Storm.’

Mark 4:35-41

That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.”  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding”
Proverbs 3:5

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