Vision Statement
Within the St Bart’s family we empower each individual child with the values and knowledge to embrace their future with aspiration and confidence. It is a family built on belonging and love, where every pupil is safe and happy, enabling them to thrive and become the very best version of themselves.
Welcome
I would like to offer you a warm welcome to our website, which I hope will provide you with a
flavour of our fantastic school. St Bartholomew’s, known affectionately by many as St Bart’s, is a
thriving, inclusive Church of England Primary School and Nursery located in the semi-rural
village of Areley Kings on the south bank of the River Severn, Stourport-on-Severn.
Whilst maintaining the highest expectations of our pupils, we work together to ensure all children
are safe, happy and flourishing in their learning. As a Church school we have a distinctive
character where Christian values are promoted in all aspects of school life, underpinned by our
key values, chosen to help us to achieve our vision: Pride, Courage, Resilience, Love, Empathy and Respect. Our exciting, innovative curriculum embodies and nurtures inquisitive, curious learners encapsulating all core and foundation subjects through a carefully planned National Curriculum model which promotes and develops a love of reading, learning and a connection to the world around us. This approach to learning is
deliberately focused on helping all pupils to live out our vision – nurturing hope and aspiration
and an appreciation and respect of each other and the world around us, in the knowledge that
everyone is valued equally and can achieve their God-given potential.
As a THRIVE school, we put the children’s social, spiritual and emotional development at the
heart of our work and, specifically through our Jigsaw and Collective Worship provision but also
as a golden thread in everything we do, we ensure that the personal, social and mental well-
being of every child is of paramount importance. Moreover, character-building and enrichment
opportunities plus enhanced support as a part of our wider curriculum are valued greatly, with
every member of staff wholeheartedly dedicated to supporting every child especially when they
need it the most (Parable of the Lost Sheep Matthew 18: 10-14 and Luke 15:1-7).
We are proud to be a co-founding member of Severn Academies Educational Trust (SAET) and,
collectively, we are fully committed to securing outstanding educational opportunities for ‘our’
children. We maintain close links and collaborate extensively with the Diocese, Kidderminster
and Stourport clergy plus our Church of England partner schools within Severn Academies
Educational Trust (Hartlebury, Wilden All Saints and Far Forest).
Mr S Reeves-Walters
M.Ed N.P.Q.EH
At St Bartholomew’s our staff provide a welcoming environment where all children develop self- discipline through our caring Christian ethos.
We are working to create in our school a feeling that we are all part of God’s special family where we show love and care for everyone around us.
Spiritual Development
Spiritual development differs from person to person and is a very personal experience. For this reason, it is difficult to put into words. Spirituality is not the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith.
At St Bartholomew’s we define spirituality as something we feel in ourselves and not something we can see. It embraces awe and wonder and an enquiring mind, inspiring us to care for nature and all living things and being aware of both ourselves and others, and something bigger outside of
ourselves. Spiritual development enables all of us to grow in mind, body and spirit to live life in all its fullness, learning from ‘marvellous mistakes’ and enjoying and embracing special ‘light bulb’ moments.
The children at 'our' school have collective worship every day.
The theme of our worship is planned around 'our' six core values of Pride, Courage, Resilience, Love, Empathy and Respect.
These values were chosen by the staff, children and their parents and we aim to 'live these values' day by day.
We have very close links with our local Parish Church of St Bartholomew’s and members of the
congregation who are regular visitors to the school.
Members of our community regularly join us for worship or when we visit ‘our’ church for special
festivals such as Christmas and Easter. Individuals from the Parish of St Bartholomew’s support
the children in a variety of ways including reading buddies, RE lessons, religious festivals and
whole school celebrations.
All children at 'our' school attend our daily act of worship every day and all adults at least once a
week. Collective Worship celebrates the love of God for every individual and provides
opportunities for pupils and adults to reflect and respond, experiencing emotions such as sharing
happiness, sorrow, excitement, anticipation, through activities such as singing, listening,
laughing, praying and reflecting on a theme.
Links to Policies:
Spirituality and Spiritual Development Policy
Collective Worship Policy
RE Policy
School Prayer
Dear God,
Give us the strength to be brave
The compassion to be kind
The courage to be proud of who we are
And love so we can show kindness to all.
Keep us safe, happy and learning
Amen
Written by 'our' children
To view all our Prayer, please click here.
