King Charles School Is An ‘Excellent’ Church School And Our SIAMS (Statutory Inspection Of Anglican And Methodist Schools) Report (February 2020) Is Available In The Link Below 
King Charles S.I.A.M.S. Report

What does it mean to be a Church of England School?
This document is designed to provide you with an overview of what being a Church School is all about. Where is started, what makes Church Schools different and special, what this means for us now and the expectations of our school and how we’re held to account.
So, what’s the history? 
Before the government became involved with providing education for everyone in England there were church schools and other charitable schools. The majority of church schools were built in the 1800s and when they were built there were two requirements of them: to teach Christianity through ‘Religious Instruction’ and to hold a regular act of worship.

When the state became involved with providing mass education, church schools became integrated into the education provided by the state.  All these schools are known as maintained schools - they are funded by and built by the state.  All maintained schools, including Church school, have to teach Religious Education and hold a daily act of worship. So church schools work on the same basis as community schools.

25% of primary schools in England have a Church foundation. 
Here in Cornwall (the Diocese of Truro), there are 43 Church Schools which are part of 12 multi academy trusts (MATs). 

What’s added through being a Church School?

Church schools have Christian beliefs and values at their heart. This means that every child and adult associated with the school is not just important because they are members of the school but because they are seen as unique individuals within God's creation.

For us, here at King Charles, our vision starts with our values, from which all else flows – Friendship, Creativity, Aspiration, Achievement and Teamwork – creating an environment where everyone can shine!

Our mission is simple – to be a school where everyone shines. This itself is rooted in what we can learn from the Bible and in particular, the life of Jesus and what Matthew wrote (5:16); ‘let your light shine before others’.

Church schools like us recognise that as well as academic and emotional intelligence human beings also have spiritual intelligence. The spiritual aspects of life will be recognised, and nurtured alongside the academic and emotional needs of all.

Church schools are places where challenge through questioning is encouraged as through this we can make sense of the world, the gift of life and the purpose of our own personal lives. We ask big questions every day and these are a central part of the Big Questions we answer as part of our ‘topics’.

The purpose of a Church of England school is to offer a spiritual dimension to the lives of young people, within the traditions of the Church of England, in an increasingly secular world.

What differences might you notice?
As a pupil, family member, visitor or colleague you should find that a Church School is as good as any other good school but you should feel that the way the school works is different and distinctive. That’s what people say when they come to our school. That’s what makes us special and we believe that distinctive difference is because our entire existence and purpose is rooted in Christian values that affect the way everyone is respected.

What else?
Church schools are encouraged to:

• ensure that the school is led by a headteacher who is committed, with the help of staff, to establishand maintain the Christian character of the school in its day to day activities and in the curriculum
• engage meaningfully in a real act of Christian worship every day
• offer a school life that incorporates the values of the Christian faith
• ensure that religious education is given at least 5% of school time and that thecharacter and quality of religious education are a particular concern of theheadteacher and the governing body
• observe the major Christian festivals and in schools where other faiths are presentensure that those faiths are able and encouraged to mark their major festivals withintegrity
• maintain and develop an active and affirming relationship with a parish church

How does being part of a Trust and the Diocese make a difference?
Church Schools within academy trusts and Dioceses are all about partnerships and collaboration. It’s about working together for and with each other. For us, as part of Kernow Learning and the Diocese of Truro families of schools it sees us supporting our fellow Church Schools to ensure that we fulfil the Church of England’s Vision for Education, our vision has a theological base and is lived out. We also work with fellow Church Schools to ensure that our curricula are expressions of our school and Trust visions, and that we enable to worshipping life of our schools.
For all schools in our Trust, it means that we share our expertise to support others in fulfilling the expectations of worship in schools, the quality of learning in RE is strong, and we can ensure that the spiritual development of pupils is supported.

  How are we held to account?
Church Schools are inspected by OfSTED like all other schools. We are also inspected as part of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) framework roughly every four to five years. Our most recent inspection saw us recognised with an ‘excellent’ grading.
As well as through inspection, we are held to account by our Governors and the Trustees of our Trust as well as other Executive Leaders and our own self-evaluation frameworks. At least one governor on our Board is a ‘foundation governor’ which means that their appointment is supported by the Diocese.

I want to know more…
If you’d like to know more about the work of our school, our Trust or our Diocese, you can make contact with us here at school, and we can put you in touch.
Alternatively, here are some websites you can visit for more information:
Our school website: www.kingcharles.kernowlearning.co.uk
Kernow Learning: www.kernowlearning.co.uk
Diocese of Truro: www.trurodiocese.org.uk

 

Our School Prayer
During K.C.T. (King Charles Together) Time we wrote our school prayer. Each year group contributed and by showing teamwork we wrote this prayer which is special to us.

Click here to view the Church of England's Vision for Education

Find more information about Truro Diocese here

Falmouth's Churches

We are proud of the relationships and strong links we have to all the churches in our town.  Our school started it's life at King Charles the Martyr Parish Church so we do of course feel a natural bond there but we also work closely with the others who, in turn, work in partnership with us.

New Street Church

St Budock Church

All Saints Church

King Charles the Martyr

A Church School - our vision and values

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

At The Bishops' our mantra, 'Faith to Belong, Believe, Aspire and Achieve' is based on The Parable of the Mustard Seed:

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

Our Christian Vision at The Bishops’ is:

We belong to Team Bishops', where through our Christian distinctiveness and nurturing ethos we celebrate differences. We believe in inspirational, exciting and challenging learning that utilises our natural environment. We aspire to create endless possibilities by making positive contributions to society. We achieve by everyone flourishing academically, spiritually and emotionally. 

Check out our Looking to the Rainbow video for The Church of England:

Click here to view the Church School leaflet

The Bishops' is proud to be recognised as an 'Outstanding' Church of England school and our SIAMS report (March 2023) is available here.

Our school prayer

The Bishops’ School is our School

Let’s get on together

Let’s have fun learning

Let’s be brave and try new things

Let’s take care of each other

Let’s take care about the world

Let’s plan for the future

Let’s do it all in God’s name

Amen

Our Christian Values

Our school values were relaunched in September 2019 with all our community having an input, from our Worship Leaders to our visiting clergy from St Michael's Church. Everything we do links to our values, and they underpin all of our learning to enable our children to flourish.  We persevere, we learn how to be compassionate, we respect each other, we learn how to forgive, we trust each other and we learn courage. Please see our Values plan below for more detail, how our values fit within the Christian Calendar and our tips for learning about our values at home.

We also use teddies to model our values to our younger children in our daily collective worship.

You can view the Bishops' Value Plan here

To find out how our Christian values link with British values, click here.

 Click on the pictures to find out more about each of our values.

Our Aims

• To provide an environment and curriculum that stimulates every child’s desire to learn;
• To teach creatively to inspire children with unique learning experiences;
• To foster high aspirations and encourage children to be leaders of their own learning;
• To promote respect and kindness;
• To nurture and prepare children so they flourish academically, socially and spiritually;
• To prepare the children to be lifelong learners.

What is a Church of England School?

The Bishops’ C of E Learning Academy is named after four Bishops of Cornwall:

Conan was a medieval Bishop of Cornwall. Conan was nominated about 926 by King Æthelstan. He was consecrated before 931. He died between 937 and 955. However, in the view of historian D. P. Kirby, it was almost certainly in 936 not 926 that Æthelstan established Bishop Conan at St. Germans.

Kenstec was a medieval Bishop of Cornwall. Kenstec was consecrated between 833 and 870. His death date is unknown. Kenstec's seat lay in "the monastery of Dinuurrin"' which may have been Bodmin. He professed obedience to the Archbishop of Canterbury, marking a stage in the incorporation of Cornwall into the English church. It is not clear whether there was only one bishop in Cornwall at this time, as there may have been another at St Germans, and it is also not clear whether Cornish bishoprics continued into the later ninth century. 

Leofric (before 1016–1072) was a medieval Bishop of Exeter. Probably a native of Cornwall, he was educated on the continent. At the time Edward the Confessor was in exile before his succession to the English throne, Leofric joined his service and returned to England with him. After he became king, Edward rewarded Leofric with lands. Although a 12th-century source claims Leofric held the office of chancellor, modern historians agree he never did so. Edward appointed Leofric as Bishop of Cornwall and Bishop of Crediton in 1046, but because Crediton was a small town, the new bishop secured papal permission to move the episcopal seat to Exeter in 1050. At Exeter, Leofric worked to increase the income and resources of his cathedral, both in lands and in ecclesiastical vestments. He was a bibliophile, and collected many manuscripts; some of these he gave to the cathedral library, including a famous manuscript of poetry, the Exeter Book. Leofric died in 1072; although his remains were moved to the new Exeter Cathedral which was built after his death, their location is no longer known and the current tomb does not mark his resting place.

Wulfsidge was a medieval Bishop of Cornwall. Wulfsidge was consecrated between 959 and 963. He died between 981 and 993. His predecessor was Comoere and his successor was Ealdred of Cornwall.

Our school started in 1978 as the population increased in Newquay and the surrounding villages. 

There were two requirements; the first to teach Christianity through ‘Religious Instruction’ and the second to hold a regular act of worship..

The purpose of a Church of England school is to offer a spiritual dimension to the lives of young people, within the traditions of the Church of England, in an increasingly secular world.

25% of primary schools in England have a Church foundation.

What is being added by being a Church of England school?

At The Bishops', we have Christian beliefs and values at the heart of all we do.  This means that every child and adult associated with our school is not just important because they are members of the school but because we see them as unique individuals within God’s creation.

At The Bishops', we aim to live the Church of England's VISION FOR EDUCATION.  We want all of our children to live life in all it’s fullness – to belong, believe, aspire and achieve!  

If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20

As a church school, we recognise that as well as academic and emotional intelligence human beings also have spiritual intelligence. The spiritual aspects of life will be recognised, and nurtured alongside the academic and emotional needs of all who work and play within our school community.

Church schools are places where challenge through questioning is encouraged as through this we can make sense of the world, the gift of life and the purpose of our own personal lives.

We see a core purpose for our school is bringing the church, the teachings of Christ and Christian beliefs and values to our school.

What differences should you notice ?

As a pupil, parent, visitor or member of staff you should find that a church school is as good as any other good school but you should feel that the way the school works is different and distinctive.   At The Bishops', this is something we pride ourselves on and we know that the distinctive difference is rooted in our Christian values that affect the way everyone is respected.

The Bishops' values, ethos, curriculum and provision ensures that we enable our pupils to live life in all it’s fullness by building our work on the core values of the Church of England’s Vision for Education: Wisdom, Hope, Community and Dignity.

Church schools are encouraged to:

• ensure that the school is led by a headteacher who is committed, with the help of staff, to establish and maintain the Christian character of the school in its day to day activities and in the curriculum.
• engage meaningfully in a real act of Christian worship every day.
• offer a school life that incorporates the values of the Christian faith.
• ensure that religious education is given at least 5% of school time and that the character and quality of religious education are a particular concern of the headteacher and the governing body.
• observe the major Christian festivals and in schools which other faiths are present ensure that those faiths are able and encouraged to mark their major festivals with integrity.
• maintain and develop an active and affirming relationship with a parish church.

Our links

We work very closely with the staff at St Micheal's church, Newquay who are in school every week helping and supporting the children. Every Sunday, Newquay methodist church and St Gregory's C of E Church use our school hall as a place of worship and we support the local foodbank run by Newquay Churches together.

We also enjoy the support of the Truro Diocese, The Church of England Education Office and Coventry Cathedral's International Cross of Nails Schools project.

At The Bishops' we believe that all children learn best when they feel secure, happy and fully engaged in the life of the school. We pride ourselves on looking after our children exceptionally well and providing a stimulating and vibrant curriculum in which every individual child can thrive. Therefore we place great emphasis on developing strong relationships with all our children, parents and carers to provide the best possible experience that a primary school can offer, and as a Church school our 6 values are embedded in a strong Christian foundation.

Check out this video; One More Step, which our Worship Leaders made by going on the Cornish Celtic Way Pilgrimage route from Lelant to St Michael's Mount to launch the Pilgrim Explorers Micro Pilgrimages.

We're proud to be recognised by SIAMS as an 'Excellent' Church of England school. For the full report click here.

Click here to see what is means to be a Church of England school

Information about our Church Schools Network can be found here

Progression in Spirituality Policy

SMSC at the Bishops' (May 2020)

Guidance for full opening - schools RE and WCW

St Francis C of E VA School is an ‘Outstanding’ Church School and our SIAMS (Statutory Inspection Of Anglican And Methodist Schools) report (March 2018) is available here.

St Francis' Prayer
Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love
Where there is injury, Your pardon Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in You

Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of Your peace
It is pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving to all men that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life

Oh Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul

Make me a channel of Your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy

Amen
 

Our Core Christian Values

Courage
Peace
Thankfulness
Trust
Friendship
Hope

Our Church of England School

Our school started life in 1991 with the amalgamation of Penwerris, All Saints and Budock School.
The purpose of a Church of England school is to offer a spiritual dimension to the lives of young people, within the traditions of the Church of England, in an increasingly secular world.  25% of primary schools in England have a Church foundation.
At St Francis, we have Christian beliefs and values central to all we do. This means that every child and adult associated with our school is not just important because they are members of the school but because we see them as unique individuals within God’s creation.
As a church school, we recognise that as well as academic and emotional intelligence human beings also have spiritual intelligence. The spiritual aspects of life will be recognised, and nurtured alongside the academic and emotional needs of all who work and play within our school community.

At St Francis, we aim to live out the Church of England's Vision for Education which can be seen here.

What differences should you notice at a Church of England school?
As a pupil, parent, visitor or member of staff you should find that a church school is as good as any other good school but you should feel that the way the school works is different and distinctive. At St Francis, this is something we pride ourselves on and we know that the distinctive difference is rooted in our Christian values that affect the way everyone is respected.

St Francis School’s values, ethos, curriculum and provision ensures that we enable our pupils to live life in all it’s fullness by building our work on the core values of the Church of England’s Vision for Education: Wisdom, Hope, Community and Dignity.

Church schools are encouraged to:

• ensure that the school is led by a headteacher who is committed, with the help of staff, to establish and maintain the Christian character of the school in its day to day activities and in the curriculum
• engage meaningfully in a real act of Christian worship every day
• offer a school life that incorporates the values of the Christian faith
• ensure that religious education is given at least 5% of school time and that the character and quality of religious education are a particular concern of the headteacher and the governing body
• observe the major Christian festivals and in schools which other faiths are present ensure that those faiths are able and encouraged to mark their major festivals with integrity
• maintain and develop an active and affirming relationship with a parish church

The Diocese of Truro is committed to being a significant partner in raising standards in schools for children in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.  To read more about this, please visit the link here.

Our Christian ethos is promoted through our values;  Respect, Hope, Thankfulness, Trust, Perseverance and Wisdom.

Our school defines Spirituality as 'A Special Connection.'

We talk about Spirituality throughout our learning and often divide our Spiritual questions using four motifs:

• Mirror (you) What is your connection/What do you think?
• Window (others around your family/community) How might others connect/What might others think?
• Door (World) How does this connect to the world/What does it mean in the world?
• Candle (Deeper thinking) Connecting with deeper thoughts.

What does it mean to be a Church of England School?

This document is designed to provide you with an overview of what being a Church School is all about. Where is started, what makes Church Schools different and special, what this means for us now and the expectations of our school and how we’re held to account.

What’s added through being a Church School?

Church schools have Christian beliefs and values at their heart. This means that every child and adult associated with the school is not just important because they are members of the school but because they are seen as unique individuals within God's creation.

For us, here at Wendron, our vision starts with our values, from which all else flows –Respect, Hope, Thankfulness, Trust, Perseverance and Wisdom – creating an environment where everyone can be the best they can be!

Our mission is simple – to be a school where everyone is able to be the best they can be. This itself is rooted in what we can learn from the Bible and in particular, the life of Jesus and what John wrote ‘to live life, life in all its fullness (John 10;10)

What differences might you notice?

As a pupil, family member, visitor or colleague you should find that a Church School is as good as any other good school but you should feel that the way the school works is different and distinctive. That’s what people say when they come to our school. That’s what makes us special and we believe that distinctive difference is because our entire existence and purpose is rooted in Christian values that affect the way everyone is respected.