Why our church school helps my children belong

Why do my children attend a Church of England Primary School? Well, to be absolutely honest sending our children to a C of E school was as much a consequence of geography as faith – initially. 

In the maelstrom that is moving house I confess it was the SATs results and class sizes of all the schools in our new catchment area that I pored over. But in the end the only school we visited before feeling happy we had found ‘the right one’ just happened to be five minutes walk from our new home, in the village itself. 

It also just happened to be a C of E primary, a factor I now firmly believe is an important part of the school’s success (it is oversubscribed at a time when demographics are seeing many village schools close). I feel that the strong ethos of the school echoes the principles of Christian life, and those by which we try to live at home (with varying degrees of success!)

It’s not a ‘high’ church school and certainly not all of its families, or teachers, attend church of any denomination regularly. Those who have a faith are not all C of E and not all Christians. But I don’t know of any who object to their children being taught to love their family and neighbours, respect and think of others, and use their talents well. 
Hopefully these principles would be a priority at any school but backed here by the weekly presence of our Team Vicar and local church, as well as RE lessons exploring many faiths, I think they gain context and substance which, in turn, make them a viable way of life for today.

The fact that the whole school trips over to the local church seasonally for Harvest Festival and Christmas concerts, as well as using the historic and holy space for their yearly ‘leavers’ assembly’, and that a group of local churchgoers give up odd mornings and an entire week in the summer to run children’s activities that are mainly attended (voluntarily) by children from the school, encourages a sense of familiarity, welcome and importance in the church community.

And that’s a big point for me – community. Whether we live in a village, town or city we are not islands – whatever Simon and Garfunkel say. 

We thrive if we belong and feel needed and valued. In an environment where we are wanted and respected we feel responsible and are less likely to want to destroy or damage it. Even if the children at our school one day reject or rebel against Christianity I believe the sense of belonging that they experienced in the bosom of their CofE primary school and local church will always remain with them as a good basis for living, and that can only be a good thing for society can’t it?

Sally Jarman will take over as acting editor of the DOOR from October 2005, for a period of maternity leave cover.