Hampstead Parochial Church of England School

The Church of England has a long and respected history of involvement of education and the facts are a testament to that:

• Around one million children attend CofE schools
• 25% of all primary and middle schools and 6% of secondary schools are CofE
• CofE clergy dedicate a million hours a year working with children in schools
• There are 22,500 Foundation Governors in Church schools recruited, trained and supported by dioceses
• Each diocese runs a Diocesan Board of Education supporting Church schools

On 16^th October 1811, Joshua

Watson, a wine merchant, philanthropist and prominent member of the High Church party founded the ‘National Society for Promoting the Education of the Poor in the Principles of the Established Church in England and Wales,’ commonly referred to as the National Society.

Church of England schools are established primarily for the communities they are located in and were founded by parishes to serve the poorest children. They are inclusive and serve equally those who are of the Christian faith, those of other faiths and those with no faith

Vision Statement
To enable everyone within our community to flourish and enjoy a life filled with love, meaning and purpose, underpinned by Christian values, a love of learning and an eagerness to make the world a better place together.

The Vision is based on the biblical text John 10:10:  Jesus said, ‘I have come in order that you might have life – life in all its fullness.’

The Four Foundations
Our vision is built upon four foundations which are interwoven with our six core Christian Values (forgiveness, responsibility, koinonia, friendship, compassion and respect)

• Wisdom, Knowledge, Skills (forgiveness)
• Hope and Aspiration (Responsibility)
• Community and Living well together (Koinonia, Friendship and Compassion)
• Dignity and Respect (Respect)

Core Christian Values
Hampstead Parochial School is a Church of England Voluntary-Aided primary school that offers a distinctly Christian education in an inclusive environment where we encourage all children and young people to learn, enquire and grow.

The distinctive nature of our approach to education can be found in our explicit Christian values such as collective worship, a grounded Christian ethos and in our Religious Education.

Children and staff of all faiths and none are welcome at our school and our aims are to promote understanding and tolerance between those of different faith traditions.

‘Church schools should nourish Christians in their faith, encourage those of other faiths and challenge those of no faith’
Robert Runcie, Archbishop of Canterbury 1980 – 1991

As a community, we have identified six values that are woven into the very fabric of the school which we expect all members of the school community – students, staff, governors, parents and clergy – to model:

• Friendship
• Compassion
• Forgiveness
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Koinonia

Koinonia may be a word you don’t instantly recognise. It is a Greek word that occurs 20 times in the Bible (first occurring in Acts 2:42) and it means ‘communion, joint participation and contribution’. It identifies the idealised state of fellowship and unity that should exist within the Christian Church.