Socially Responsible

Our vision is to create a warm and welcoming Christian community. Reflecting the Proverb’s guidance: “Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart; a wise person draws from the well within,” (Proverbs 20:5) we seek to provide an environment of depth and spiritual reflection that will resource our families. As a church school the Christian values of mutual respect and love are at the heart of all we do and we echo the Church of England’s Vision for a school to be “a hospitable community that seeks to embody an ethos of living well together.”(Church of England Vision for Education page 10)

At Deepcar St John’s the individual matters: our vision is for every child to draw on the depth of values we embody as they forge their own views and make their own way in the world.

Geographically we are in a valley, but our eagle flies high. Our children are made aware of their place within our community and the wider world. This is a reflected in the way global concerns are highlighted, thus helping us to draw children towards a personal connection with international issues.

High Achievers

At Deepcar St John’s, everyone is inspired to reach their full potential. Our vision for our children is akin to Paul’s energising encouragement to the Corinthian church: ‘You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.’ (1 Corinthians 9:24-25)

We believe that learning is a journey in which we teach the child the way, such that they then maintain it into maturity’ (Proverbs 22:6) and, by way of equipping them for that journey, we are committed to promoting a growth mindset. We challenge any sense of limitation. As Paul said in his letter to the Philippians ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’ (Philippians 4:13 ESV)

Our symbol is that of an eagle and our approach to learning is best envisaged in Isaiah’s description of flight:

But those who trust in the LORD for help will find their strength renewed.

They will rise on wings like eagles;

they will run and not get weary;

they will walk and not grow week. (Isaiah 40:31 Good news bible)

At Deepcar St John’s the individual matters and we empower each child to rise on wings like eagles, to be the best they can be.

Independent and Inter-dependent

At Deepcar St John’s we celebrate our diversity, ‘for if the body consisted of one single part, there wouldn’t be a body at all! So now we see that there are many differing parts and functions, but one body’. (1 Corinthians 12v19-20 The Passion Translation)

Our vision is to create an environment where the individual is encouraged to be an independent and interdependent individual. The Christian concept of a Triune God puts before us the idea of God, the ground of our being, as a communion of independent identity within interdependent and united community: It has been said beautifully and profoundly, that our God in his most inner mystery is not solitude, but a family. (John Paul II)

At our school, we model this community of individuality and independence alongside that trinity-like interdependence. To this end we affirm the belief that each child is an individual, ‘fearfully and individually made.’ (Psalm 139-14) At Deepcar St John’s, the individual’s independent learning identity matters: we believe that children are smart in different ways and that is vital for a child to know what they and others are good at. We also highlight the way in which interdependence makes for a good community.

Nurturing

‘The God of wisdom. love, compassion and peace, in whose image we are created, is utterly relational. Hence the essential importance to human worth of fellow human beings, human community and the whole created world of which we are part, of the virtues, of the formation of character, and of relational practices, including service, prayer and worship. ( (Church of England Vision for Education page 8)

At Deepcar St John’s the individual matters and we empower each child to be the best they can be, challenging any sense of limitation. To enable the education described in our vision, we need to create the right environment and possess a Deepcar St John’s pedagogy. Our school adopts the teaching of Paul, ‘Don’t do anything from a selfish ambitious or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble towards one another, always considering others better than yourselves. And look out for one another’s interests, not just for our own.’ (Philippians 2:3-4 GNT)

At our school, the key to or work is the creation of a nurturing community. We are all about enriching life experiences through school and consciously create an environment modelled on the observation of the Proverb: ‘Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble.’ (Proverbs 17:17)

Empowered to Meet Life’s Challenges

Our vision is for our children to achieve their fullest potential. We seek to widen their horizons and open a vision of the abundant life of which Jesus spoke, when he said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it all in its fullness.’ (John 10:10b) We seek for our children to be aware of what it means to be a valued part of life at Deepcar, and also to have experience of the wider world. At Deepcar St John’s we affirm the Church of England’s depiction of the widest vision for education: “Hope in God’s future for the world, in God’s ongoing love and compassion for all people, and for the whole of creation, and in God’s promise of life in all its fullness are at the root of our dedication to educating for hope and aspiration.” (Church of England Vision for Education page 10)

Our outlook is broad; we are a school that rates skills and knowledge as being of equal importance and that places emphasis on creativity opening the outlook of our children. At Deepcar St John’s, it matters to us that each individual should be inspired towards a big vision of life that resembles the Proverb’s guidance that, ‘The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the selfish gets smaller and smaller.’ (Proverbs 11:24 Message Bible)

We affirm the vision of the Church of England: ‘Good schools open up horizons of hope and aspiration, and guide pupils into ways of fulfilling them.’ (Church of England Vision for Education page 7)

St John’s Church

Deepcar St john’s is a proud Christian school that has been the heart of the local community for over 50 years. The school, previously situated on Carr Road, moved to its present location in 1968. St John’s school has always had very close links with Deepcar St John’s Church.

We enjoy a very strong and positive relationship with The Vicar, who visits the school on a half termly basis to lead acts of worship. We regularly celebrate the major events in the Christian calendar at the church.

The vicar is an ex-officio member of the governors of St John’s and several members of the churches congregation serve as school governors, all making a valuable contribution to the life of the school.

On 15th January 2020, Deepcar St John’s had a SIAMS inspection. SIAMS stands for ‘Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools’. These inspections are conducted every four years. The inspection focuses on the following strands:

Vision and Leadership

Wisdom, Knowledge and Skills

Character Development: Hope, Aspiration and Courageous Advocacy

Community and Living Well Together

Dignity and Respect

The impact of Collective Worship

The effectiveness of Religious Education

A copy of the report for can be downloaded from the bottom of this page . The school is really pleased with the result. The framework has changed recently with increased expectations. Mr David Shannon, who conducted the inspection, said that ‘the pupils are our biggest asset’ which we wholeheartedly agree with.

‘Where the Individual Matters’