Our Vision
Loving and Learning together for Life, as Jesus Taught Us
At Leonard Stanley, our aim is to empower every individual to flourish and make a positive impact on their community, guided by Jesus' love and teachings. We foster an environment where everyone is valued and inspired to excel academically, spiritually, and emotionally, equipping them with confidence and faith to face life's challenges together.
Our vision is rooted in the Parable of the Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:12-14) which illustrates God's immense love and care for each individual. In the parable, a shepherd leaves his flock of sheep to search for one that has gone astray. When he finds the lost sheep, he rejoices greatly and celebrates its return, reflecting our core belief that every person in our community matters.
“Belonging is at the heart of this welcoming and inclusive school. As a result, pupils are excited to come to school. They are invested in the school’s values, particularly in being kind. “
(September 2024, Ofsted)
“The strong links between the church and the school support the Christian distinctiveness, ensuring the school’s Christian values are lived out well beyond the classroom.”
(SIAMS, October 2018)
The Parable of the Lost Sheep: Resilience
Jesus told a story about a shepherd who had 100 sheep. One day, one of the sheep wandered off and got lost. Instead of giving up, the shepherd showed resilience by leaving the 99 sheep safely in the field and going to search for the lost one. He climbed hills, crossed streams, and kept looking until he found the lost sheep.
When he finally found it, he was overjoyed. He carried the sheep back on his shoulders and celebrated with his friends and neighbours. Jesus explained that just like the shepherd, we should never give up on others and always show resilience in helping those who are lost or in need.
This story teaches us the importance of perseverance and caring for everyone, no matter how difficult the situation might be.
The Parable of the good Samaritan: Respect
Once, a man was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On his way, he was attacked by robbers who took his belongings and left him injured. A priest walked by but didn't help. Then, a Levite (a temple helper) saw the man but also passed by without helping.
Finally, a Samaritan came along. Samaritans and Jews usually didn't get along, but the Samaritan respected the injured man as a fellow human being. He cleaned and bandaged the man's wounds, put him on his donkey, and took him to an inn. The Samaritan paid the innkeeper to take care of the man until he recovered.
Jesus told this story to teach us to respect and help everyone, no matter who they are. The Good Samaritan showed respect and kindness, and we should do the same.
The story of Jesus feeding the 5,000: Kindness
One day, Jesus was teaching a large crowd of 5000 people. As it got late, everyone was hungry, but there was no food. A boy offered his lunch of five loaves of bread and two fish to Jesus. Jesus showed kindness by accepting the boy's small offering and giving thanks to God.
He then performed a miracle, multiplying the loaves and fish so that everyone had enough to eat. The crowd was amazed by Jesus' kindness and generosity. After everyone was full, the disciples collected twelve baskets of leftovers.
This story teaches us that even small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Jesus showed that sharing and caring for others is important, and we should always be kind and help those in need.
Our Superpowers (Values)
At Leonard Stanley, we have three core values:
- RESPECT
- RESILIENCE
- KINDNESS
These were chosen democratically by our community in May 2024.
"Loving and learning together for life"
We strive hard to develop the school as a caring, safe community in which children and adults are treated with respect. We want every member of the community to be happy, healthy, eager to learn, confident in their own abilities and generous in the recognition of others. We are passionate that every child should fulfil the best of their potential.
We encourage the children to explore areas of knowledge with an open mind, develop the ability to exchange opinions and ideas, to relish the new challenges given and do as well as they possibly can. We promote resilience when children are engaged and striving for success as a superpower.
As we love and learn for life, we promote healthy relationships and kindness towards ourselves and other. We have a focus on learning skills for life.
We will develop the children's imagination through different creative media and help them to achieve good health, physical development, co-ordination and enjoyment through physical education.
Our philosophy is to promote positive behaviour and a zest for learning. Our core values resilience, respect and kindness are a key focus to our end of week collective worship.