Our Vision Statement

At St. Hild’s Church of England School we aim to provide all of our pupils
with a world class education in a Christian context.

We expect to find God at work in our school.

Life in all its fullness – Striving for Excellence

Our Core Values

As a Christian community, following the pattern of Christ and his words in John 10:10 of “coming to bring life in all its fullness” our day to day being is underpinned by our core Christian values:

CARE

We recognise God’s unconditional love for humankind and our reciprocal responsibilities in caring for ourselves, the world and others.

HONESTY

As followers of the Truth, we are honest with ourselves and with others and we champion truth and trust. 

EQUALITY

We are fair and just in our dealings, recognising every person as a uniquely created being – and we reflect the nature of God and his love for the world.

RESPECT

In words and actions we seek to show respect to all others, (recognising our equality in God’s eyes) and knowing God is
honoured when he is revered.

RESPONSIBILITY

As created individuals gifted with free will, we take responsibility for our own actions. We seek to live not for ourselves but recognising our responsibilities towards society as a whole.

These values are evident in our everyday life, are celebrated in worship and our aim is that they will increasingly characterise our attitudes to one another.

Personal Development Intent

Our intent is to nurture happy, healthy young people who have the knowledge, academic achievement and strength of character to lead safe and successful lives in modern Britain, preparing them for their next steps in education or employment with a thirst for lifelong learning.

At St Hild’s Church of England School we promote personal wellbeing and development through a comprehensive Character Education and PSHE programme. Core themes of British values, Wider World, Health & Wellbeing, Personal safety, Diversity and RSHE are embedded into our curriculum.

We aim to ensure that every child is fully prepared for their Post 16 choices with an ambitious career planning journey. We also aim to make certain that pupils have the skills and knowledge to make informed, safe choices now and in their futures.

Pupils will learn the need for respectful relationships and also how to keep themselves healthy and safe. The pupils should leave our school with the key tools to keep themselves mentally and physically healthy so they can thrive in their lives. Pupils will have a core understanding of diversity and the core British Values so they can continue to flourish in society.

We value the uniqueness of each individual and the positive contribution that each pupil can make by putting Christian values into practice.  Through practising our Core Values, we help pupils to discover what Jesus Christ’s promise of ‘Life in all its fullness’ might look like.  We are committed to the spiritual, physical, intellectual, emotional, moral and social development of all our pupils.

Worship is at the heart of our community and our Chaplaincy Team supports and encourages our pupils to explore Christian themes so that they are well prepared for life in the world today. Our curriculum delivers crucial subject knowledge and skills which are complemented by plethora of enriching personal development and cultural capital activities that broaden and extend our pupils’ experience.

Character Education is a wider umbrella term which helps pupils build Character, the knowledge here is underpinned by our core Christian and school values of Care, Honesty, Equality, Respect and Responsibility. Through fortnightly dedicated PSHE lessons, Alternative Curriculum Days (ACDs) our children take part in a well-planned and sequenced programme to ensure they are committing age appropriate knowledge to memory.

Pupils are encouraged to develop their individual character, learn how to stay safe and healthy and develop knowledge to ensure they are well equipped for the future. We promote Personal Development as a whole-school approach to underpin children’s holistic development. Personal Development is delivered through every aspect of school life; every interaction with another child or an adult in school is a learning experience.

There is a wide range of avenues throughout the school which drive our personal development forward including:

• Collective Worship
• Worship with Tutors
• PSHE curriculum – timetabled once a fortnight
• Alternative Curriculum Days (ACDs) – calendared once a term
• Extensive extra-curricular offer
• Careers Programme

Pupil leadership:

• Anti Bullying Ambassadors
• Science Ambassadors
• Sports Leaders Ambassadors
• Prefects and Junior Leadership Team
• Arch Bishop Young Leader Award

St. Hild

The life and example of St. Hild (St. Hilda) are central to the core values and heart of our school. Here is some information regarding our Patron Saint.

St. Hild was born in Northumbria in 614, the daughter of Hereric, the nephew of King Edwin of Northumbria. She was baptised by St. Paulinus in 627 at the age of 13 along with King Edwin and his entire household. She learned the traditions of Celtic monasticism, which Aidan brought from Iona. St. Aidan appointed Hild as the second Abbess of Hartlepool Abbey. In 657 Hilda became the founding abbess of a new monastery at Whitby, then known as Streoneshalh, she remained there until her death.

Through St. Hild’s leadership Whitby gained a great reputation, becoming a place of pilgrimage for many believers and a burial place for kings. People travelled from afar to consult her, as her wisdom became known and respected by monks royal personages. The monastery grew and St. Hild became the governor of a double monastery for both men and women, with a chapel in between. The place became a significant point of learning in both scripture and the arts and sciences. Five of the monks who studied under Hild later became bishops, including Saint Wilfrid of York and Saint John of Beverly.

Her kindness and encouraging spirit led to St. Hild being known as ‘Mother Hild.’ For St. Caedmon in particular she became a very influential person. The Venerable Bede praises St. Hild “as one of the greatest women of all time: She was the adviser of rulers as well as of ordinary folk; she insisted on the study of Holy Scripture and proper preparation for the priesthood; the influence of her example of peace and charity extended well beyond the walls of her monastery; and \”all who knew her called her Mother, such were her wonderful godliness and grace.”

Often represented in art as holding Whitby Abbey in her hands with a crown on her head or at her feet St. Hild appears as a Godly and humble leader.

Even on her death bed St. Hild thought of the guidance of others with her last recorded words being: “Have evangelical peace among yourselves.” She died on November 17, 680. 

British Values Statement

At St. Hild’s Church of England School we aim to provide all of our pupils with a world class education in a Christian context. We expect to find God at work in our school.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

“I have come that they may have life in all its fullness (John 10:10)”

Our school aim sets out our beliefs. We base this on Jesus’ words in John – “I came that they may have life, in all its fullness”. This is so for everyone in our community: everyone must be enabled to realise their potential. We believe that every human being has an entitlement to personal, social and intellectual development and must be given an opportunity to achieve his/her potential in learning and that every human being is unique in terms of characteristics, interests, abilities, motivation and learning needs.

We aim to develop self-esteem, model conflict resolution and are committed to justice and compassion. Mutual respect and trust are central to our community, and we expect high standards in all aspects of school life. This statement is based on these key principles and values.

We are a Church of England School

Every person in our school community is recognised as a child of God; so it is not the words alone of our Ethos statement that signify St. Hild’s as a Church of England school, but the reality of our daily life together. Our core Christian values of Care, Respect, Honesty, Responsibility and Equality underpin every aspect of school life. Students can expect to:

• Receive an excellent education based on Christian beliefs and values – distinct beliefs and values underpin the education which takes place here every day.
• Encounter what it is to worship and live as a Christian – all students gather in year groups for collective worship, a period of calm reflection with the opportunity for prayer.

• Learn that it is better to serve than be served – we embrace not only our many charitable endeavours but seek to serve the wider community. Supporting others and sharing God’s love is a vital aspect of life at
  St. Hild’s.

• Develop their full God-given potential – we have high expectations of all our students, and they are encouraged to have high and increasing expectations of themselves, gradually taking personal responsibility for making the very most of their individual abilities.

• Develop a sound basis for their own life choices – each day begins with a ‘Thought for the Day’ to discuss as a group. Thinking and reasoning skills are developed, also self-awareness, and students are continually challenged to take decisions for themselves, wisely taking support from those around them.

Many faith communities are represented at St. Hild’s; however it is not necessary for students or their families to be practising members of the Church of England or any other faith.

All students study a programme of Religious Education enabling them to understand and respect all the world’s major religions. Students in all year groups have the opportunity to become involved in leading acts of collective worship.

British Values

The Department for Education introduced a statutory duty for schools to promote British Values more actively from September 2014, and to ensure they are taught in schools.

St. Hild’s Church of England School is committed to serving its community. It recognises the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of the United Kingdom. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.

It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar.

St. Hild’s Church of England School is dedicated to preparing pupils for their adult life beyond the formal, examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values. It is our duty as an educational establishment to develop pupils into well-rounded individuals who have the skills and adaptability to continue with further study and then into the world of work. We believe that it is our duty to help pupils to develop their own moral judgements, based on exposure to different viewpoints, religions and cultures.