FRUITFUL LIVES, ROOTED IN LOVE
A PLACE TO LEARN, LOVE AND GROW
“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
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.”
Jeremiah 17: 7 – 8
Our Federation Vision
This Bible passage from Jeremiah 17: 7 – 8 is the foundation of our federation’s vision. It reflects the unique location of our schools, close to the rivers Ure and Cover. The nearby confluence of these two rivers helps us to visualise our families, children and staff from each school coming together.
As rural schools, beautiful trees surround us and we feel that the tree symbolises the way we are growing together in community and also as individuals. In our logo, the tree is in the shape of the cross to remind us that Christ is at the centre of our federation, that we can put our trust in Him and that all our values are rooted in His love.
We seek to give our children and staff healthy roots, to enable them to learn and live fruitful lives: to love one another, to care for the environment in which they are planted and the wider world, and to grow in whatever they do.
Pupils and staff flourish and the experience woven throughout the life of our federation embodies the opportunity for all to live… ‘FRUITFUL LIVES, ROOTED IN LOVE: A PLACE TO LEARN, LOVE & GROW’.
Christian Values
At The Federation of Middleham (VA) and Spennithorne (VC) CE Primary Schools, each half term, we focus on a different Christian value, these are chosen by the children. This is done explicitly through our Collective Worship time, but is also woven throughout our whole curriculum. Children and staff have regular opportunities to reflect on each value and to develop an understanding of the value in action.
Our core Christian values is love. What makes love a distinctively Christian value? Because Christians recognise that God is love, and love comes from God (1 John 4:7). Whilst love is important in almost every culture and religion, the Bible tells us that God loved us first. We are therefore able to love in the true sense of the word because God loves us. As we receive and experience God’s love, which is unconditional and for everyone, we can then love others. Christians believe that it is by understanding God’s love for us that we truly love others. When asked, ‘which is the greatest commandment?’ Jesus answered, ‘love God, love your neighbour and love yourself’. (Matthew 22:36- 40).