CHRISTIAN DISTINCTIVENESS
St Thomas’ C of E Academy Christian Distinctiveness: Growing, Learning and Shining Together with God.
This comprehensive book hopes to share with you all aspects of what makes us proud to be a Church of England school. Please take time to read it or dip into the different sections and illustrations, thank you.
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Mrs Beardsley
Headteacher
Our Christian values are embedded throughout all aspects of school life and they underpin our Christian distinctiveness here at St. Thomas':
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St Thomas' has a “Committed and dedicated Leadership team who are instrumental in creating a distinctively Christian vision and a school that is inclusive, welcoming and harmonious”
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SIAMS inspection, March 2018.
Bible stories
We also link each of our values to a story from the Bible:
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Respect - The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Trust - Jesus calms the storm
Aspiration - The story of David or Samuel
Responsibility - The story of Noah or Esther
Honesty - The story of Zacchaeus or Elisha, Naaman and the Servant
Forgiveness - The Parable of the Prodigal Son
'Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God and honour the Emperor' Peter 2:17
'When I am afraid I trust in you God' Psalm 56:3
'To make it your ambition to lead a quiet life; you should mind your own business and work with your own hands just as we told you' Thessalonians 4:11
'In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were working for the Lord, not for people' Colossians 3:23
'You deserve honesty from the heart, yes, utter sincerity and truthfulness' Psalm 51:6
'Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ' Ephesians 4:32
SIAMS
As St Thomas' is a Church School, all Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the Church of England Education Office's framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The SIAMS Evaluation Schedule sets out the expectations for the conduct of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican, Methodist and ecumenical Schools under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005.
More detailed information about the inspection can be viewed here on the Church of England website.
https://www.churchofengland.org/more/education-and-schools/church-schools-and-academies/siams-school-inspections
Vision Statement
Our aim is to the provide each child with the aspiration to achieve, grow and shine together with God within an enjoyable, caring and supportive school family that promotes respect, trust, honesty, responsibility and forgiveness so that together “we can do all this through Jesus who gives us strength.” Philippians 4:13
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“Growing, learning and shining together with God”
Spirituality
What do we understand by spirituality at St Thomas’ C of E Academy and how does this guide us to live life in all its fullness?
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An important contributor to effective spiritual development at St Thomas C of E Academy are the underlying values and principles upon which the school operates. Our school vision, based on St Paul’s letter to the Philippians, ‘Growing, learning and shining together with God’, creates the right environment for effective spiritual development.
We frequently ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” We do this because:
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"There is a danger that spirituality ………………. could be trivialised if it is reduced to a welter of nice feelings or gasps of momentary admiration. Spiritual growth will involve reflecting on the significance of an experience for our lives. If there is no such reflection, a feeling remains just a feeling." David Smith - Making Sense of Spiritual Development
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At St Thomas’ C of E Academy we know and live by our understanding that:
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"The Church school offers a spiritual and moral basis for the development of human wholeness and a sure foundation for personal and social values based on the person and ministry of Christ. A distinctive language is provided for understanding life and interpreting human experience. As a community of faith, the Church school should, in its best expression, reflect the nature of the Trinity, a life shared and defined by reference to others. Here we can begin to discover who we are, why we are, and perhaps most importantly what we might be."
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The Way Ahead Report, Church of England
Lyfta
Lyfta Time was introduced last academic year (2024-25) and introduces the children at St Thomas’ to a world of diverse human stories. These stories are told through short documentary films developing connection, communication and compassion with other people in countries around the world. The resource is multisensory and takes the children inside the chosen experience through sight, sounds and a 3D interactive device.
The children are challenged to question what they see and hear:
- What are you thinking?
- What do you notice?
- What questions do you have?
The owners of Lyfta go out to the global film making community and request films; the people who create the films are from local communities and due diligence is completed in relation to their authenticity. This means that in school we are using an ethical resource which truly represents people in the way they wish to be represented.
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Lyfta supports our pupils in their understanding of courageous advocacy. Lyfta takes children out of their immediate lived experience, taking them beyond the school gates to global experiences. It supports them to understand how they can change their world and act when they are passionate about a local, national or international concern.
St Thomas' Church
We have exceptionally strong and proud links to St. Thomas' Church and encourage all our children to embrace their faith, Christian or otherwise; in a multi-cultural school we celebrate all beliefs. As a Church of England school and as part of our sharing of British Values, we engage with differing world views and faiths.
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The Reverend Kate Tingle is the Reverend for St Thomas’ Church and as a school we work closely with her to maintain strong links with the church. Rev. Kate visits school regularly, and we share worship with her. Children also have the opportunity to meet in person or interact digitally with other faith leaders as part of developing their understanding of faith locally, nationally and internationally.
Click the link below to take you to the home page of the Wednesfield Ministry.
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The ministry comprises the three Church of England churches which serve Wednesfield - St. Albans, St. Chad's and St. Thomas’.
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St Thomas’ C of E Academy also has close links with the Diocese of Lichfield and has a Christian Distinctiveness Advisor who meets with senior leaders to guide and advise us as a Church of England School.
Courageous Advocacy
At St Thomas’ C of E Academy, courageous advocacy means equipping children to speak up and take action for justice, fairness, and the common good, even when it is difficult or unpopular. It comes from our Christian belief that every person is made in the image of God and that pupils are called to live out values of love, hope, dignity, and community.
Core Meaning at St Thomas’​
• Being a voice for the voiceless and standing up for what is right.
• Encouraging pupils to challenge injustice and take responsibility in making the world a better place.
• Rooted in Christian values (e.g. compassion, service, forgiveness, respect, and hope).
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Our Practice at St Thomas’
1. Curriculum Links
• Learning about global issues (poverty, climate change, human rights).
• Studying courageous advocates in history and today
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2. Collective Worship & Reflection
• Time to reflect on moral courage and how faith inspires action.
• Stories from the Bible and Christian tradition (e.g. prophets, Jesus, the Good Samaritan).
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3. Practical Action
• Fundraising for charities and local causes.
• Campaigning on issues like environmental care or fair trade.
• Volunteering and service in the local community.
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4. Personal Development
• Building resilience and confidence to speak up respectfully.
• Encouraging empathy and awareness of others’ needs.
• Helping children recognise that small actions can make a big difference.​
The Long-Term Aim at St Thomas’
Courageous advocacy is about shaping pupils who will:
• Be agents of change in their communities.
• Take responsibility for justice and sustainability.
• Live out the Christian vision of “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10).
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Courageous advocacy at St Thomas’ C of Academy is about nurturing children who not only know what is right but are willing to act on it — locally, nationally, and globally — inspired by our Christian faith, vision and values.
Worship
In our school, pupils, their families and other adults can expect to encounter worship that is inclusive of, and fully accessible to, all. We acknowledge that there are pupils and staff in our school that will come from homes of different faith backgrounds as well as of no faith background. Moreover, many pupils will naturally be at different stages of their spiritual journey during their time in school. Pupils should be given the opportunity to think and ask questions. There should be space to consent, and dissent: to participate and to stand back; and to consider. It is an expectation that care will be taken to ensure that the language used by those facilitating worship avoids assuming faith in all those participating, listening and watching. Collective worship should not be ‘done to’ but will involve meaningful contributions from the whole school community, including pupils. It is recognised that pupils will bring their own experience to worship.
