CHRISTIAN DISTINCTIVNESS
Our Christian distinctiveness is reflected within our school vision 'Growing, Learning and Shining Together with God'.
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”
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.
Lyfta
Lyfta Time has been introduced this 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.
