"In God's family learning, loving, growing to be our very best."
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10
Welcome to Tanworth-in-Arden Church of England Primary School and Nursery. We hope you will get a good feel for the character and Christian distinctiveness of our school as soon as you step through our door. I am proud to be Headteacher of such a wonderful school, a school that is at the heart of the community directly next door to the Church St Mary Magdalene. Mr Philip Jones, ex-headteacher of Tanworth, once said to me 'at Tanworth it is as if God puts his arms around you as soon as you step through the door'.
At Tanworth our mission is simply to take the children by the hand and invite them to join us on the journey, working in close partnership with our neighbouring church and vicar, as together we all discover our own spirituality and for some Christian spirituality. We promise also to help nurture those of other faiths and to give a creative space for those of no faith to explore our distinctive beliefs.
At Tanworth the teachers, leaders, Governors, learning assistants, office staff, site team, parents and of course our children have an important role to play in making our school a place where Christian love and commitment is expressed in everyday life.
THIS HALF TERM'S VALUE
Please find the home-school newsletter for 'Generosity', along with our poster and quotes sheet for this half term's value:
Home School Values Newsletter for this half term
OUR VALUES & HOW WE EXPLORE THEM
Our key values, linked to the Church of England's vision, are
'Hope, Dignity, Community and Wisdom'.
We have fourteen other Christian values which flow from our main four:
To support us in our whole school collective worship, we use a resource called 'Roots and Fruits' designed to support 'whole school' worship, which is rooted in Bible teaching. This focuses on our value for the half term. In addition we link our Open the Book stories in school and church to the value too.
KS1 - Children in KS1 have two Key Stage assemblies each half term, focused on the value, using 'Oscar in the box' which allow them to explore the value further at an age appropriate level with an owl puppet called Oscar.
KS2 - Children in KS2 reflect 3 times a half term on the value and use a reflective journal to think about when they see others showing the value, when they see themselves showing it and how they can take their learning from the value forward in their lives.
At the end of each half term, class teachers have the task of choosing a child who consistently shows the value. They are then celebrated in church in a special 'Values Recognition Assembly' and invited to share drinks and cake with their family.
RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU AT HOME
These are a mixture of resources from school, church and some which you might find useful at home. These were originally provided during lockdown but you still might find useful.
Recommended App - The Guardians of Ancora
This is a free app, run in conjunction with Scripture Union, which allows children (aimed at 8-11) to take part in a game-based Bible story quest.
To find out more please follow this link: https://guardiansofancora.com/
Colourings
Please find some inspirational bible quotes that will support and guide in anxious times. These are in the form of colourings that can be completed and displayed. If you colour one in,why not send a picture to the school email address and we can put some up on the website?
CHURCH ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES
Many thanks to the church for the following resources which you can do at home.
Prayer Spaces - Activities
Prayer Spaces have a variety of prayer activities you can use which can be accessed here:
The Digital Family Prayer Adventure Map
To find out more and find links for downloading this interactive prayer experience, then follow this link:
https://www.thykingdomcome.global/resources/digital-family-prayer-adventure-map
An idea for how to pray at the end of the day, using your 5 fingers
SPCK are sharing 'Bedtime Bible Stories' through Faith@home.
Please find them at their Youtube channel here:
COLLECTIVE ACTS OF WORSHIP
Collective Acts of Worship are an important part of our life here at Tanworth. Please click below to find out more and see what happens.
In our Singing worship we learn new songs and get to practice some of our favourites too.
OPEN THE BOOK
Open the book is the name of a drama-based resource which gives the children an opportunity to hear and take part in key Bible stories. These are told in sequence, around a theme to allow the children and adults to explore key Christian concepts and values.
Performance of the stories as part of church services and Collective Act of Worship happen each week and alternate between the Church team with a class from school and the teachers.
We hold 'Special Services' throughout the year to celebrate and remember key Christian festivals. The children from a class lead the worship on these occasions.
Year 3 - Christmas Service
Year 4 - Harvest Service
Year 5 - Easter Service
Year 6 - Leavers' Service
We also take part in services on Remembrance Day and Ash Wednesday.
We enjoy having visitors to our school and learning about and from others. We also hold our own assemblies linked to different themes and causes to share important news and views.
Hope & Kindness
Judi from Hope and Kindness came to see us and shared news of the charity we support and the work it is doing in Kenya, helping to educate children, like Caroline and Dancun, who we sponsor and write to.
SPIRITUALITY
We acknowledge at Tanworth-in-Arden, that Spirituality is a deeply personal journey that involves developing an awareness of:
- Self: understanding oneself as unique and valued.
- Others: empathy, compassion, and respect for all.
- World: appreciation of beauty and creativity in nature and human achievement.
- Beyond – exploring meaning, purpose, and the transcendent.
To nurture spirituality, we encourage children and staff to reflect on three core questions. These questions are designed to be open-ended, adaptable, and suitable for all levels of spiritual maturity:
Who am I?
Encourages reflection on identity, uniqueness, and self-worth.
Where do I fit in?
Promotes consideration of relationships, community, and belonging.
Why am I here?
Invites exploration of purpose, meaning, contribution to the wider world and the potential of a relationship with God.
These questions allow pupils and staff to explore as deeply as they feel ready.
For further information about how we foster spirituality at Tanworth, please refer to our Spirituality Policy below.
UNDERSTANDING CHRISTIANITY
As part of our RE Curriculum and interweaved into our school life, is the Understanding Christianity Resource, which allows us all to explore the key concepts of Christianity and to understand the timeline of the Christian story. It is used within our RE teaching and also referenced as part of our Collective Act of Worship. To find out more about Understanding Christianity and view some of our interpretation, then please click below.
The key purpose is to support pupils in developing their understanding of Christianity, as a contribution to their understanding of the world and their own experience within it.
It does this by integrating pupils’ developing understanding of significant theological concepts in Christianity with their own self-understanding and understanding of the world, as part of their wider religious literacy.
The aims of Understanding Christianity are:
- To enable pupils to know about and understand Christianity as a living world faith, by exploring core theological concepts
- To enable pupils to develop knowledge and skills in making sense of biblical texts and understanding their impact in the lives of Christians
- To develop pupils’ abilities to connect, critically reflect upon, evaluate and apply their learning to their own growing understanding of religion and belief (particularly Christianity), of themselves, the world and human experience.
Inspired by the 'Big Frieze' Bible timeline, originally created by Emma Yarlett for Understanding Christianity, we have been creating our own, which is on display in the school. The individual pieces were created by the children in year groups and bubbles during 2020.
Please click below to find out about each part of the Christian Story:
The Creation: Christians believe the universe and human life are God’s good creation. Christians believe the universe and human life are God’s good creation. Humans are made in the image of God.
The Fall: Humans have a tendency to go their own way rather than keep their place in relation to their creator. This attitude is called sin, and Genesis 3 gives an account of this rebellion, popularly called ‘the Fall’. This describes a catastrophic separation between God and humans, between humans and each other, and between humans and the environment. This idea that humans are ‘fallen’ and in need of rescue (or salvation) sets out the root cause of many problems for humanity.
The People of God: The Old Testament tells the story of God’s plan to reverse the impact of the Fall, to save humanity. It involves choosing a people who will model a restored relationship with God, who will attract all other people back to God. The Bible narrative includes the ups and downs of this plan, including the message of the prophets who tried to persuade people to stick with God. The plan appears to end in failure with the people of God exiled, and then returning, awaiting a ‘messiah’ – a rescuer.
Incarnation: The New Testament presents Jesus as the answer: the Messiah and Saviour, who will repair the effects of sin and the Fall and offer a way for humans to be at one with God again. Incarnation means that Jesus is God in the flesh, and that, in Jesus, God came to live amongst humans.
Gospel: Christians believe Jesus’ incarnation is ‘good news’ for all people. (‘Gospel’ means ‘good news’.) His life, teaching and ministry embody what it is like to be one of the People of God, what it means to live in relationship with God. Jesus’ example and teaching emphasise loving one’s neighbour – particularly the weak and vulnerable – as part of loving God.
Salvation: Jesus’ death and resurrection effect the rescue or salvation of humans. He opens the way back to God. Christians believe that through Jesus, sin is dealt with, forgiveness offered, and the relationship between God and humans is restored.
The Kingdom of God: This does not mean that no one sins any more! The Bible talks in terms of God’s ‘Kingdom’ having begun in human hearts through Jesus. The idea of the ‘Kingdom of God’ reflects God’s ideal for human life in the world – a vision of life lived in the way God intended for human beings. Christians look forward to a time when God’s rule is fulfilled at some future point, in a restored, transformed heaven and earth. Meanwhile, they seek to live this attractive life as in God’s Kingdom, following Jesus’ example, inspired and empowered by God’s Spirit.
CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES LINKED TO OUR FAITH
We have a number of clubs and groups in school which give children the opportunity to explore and extend their faith, while having fun. Please click to find out more.
PRAYER AT TANWORTH
We feel that it is important for children's spiritual and mental wellbeing to be able to reflect and pray. We have a prayer garden outside and a prayer and reflection area in the foyer, so that children can choose how and when they wish to engage in prayer. Our Prayer & Worship Leaders are responsible for the the prayers which have been written in classroom prayer boxes and read some of these out in our collective acts of worship. Please click below to find out more...
LINKS WITH AND SUPPORT FOR OTHERS BECAUSE OF OUR FAITH
We have the following links with schools, charities and countries as we learn more about others around us and how we can support others who need our help:
Since the establishment of the partnership in 1966, the Anglican Church in Malawi and in Birmingham has developed a mission relationship, seeking to support each other in the work of God in our own contexts.
Our church, St Mary Magdalene is involved in the relationship and we have supported them in providing some fundraising and items to be sent by container to support our friends in Malawi.
We regularly learn about the country and have compared the daily school life there with that of our own school. We have shared videos and greetings as well as exchanging gifts.
We have hosted Agnes Mkoko from South Lunzu in Malawi, who has shared about life in the village. She was able to share with us in worship and answer questions about life in the area, the school and church.
We also raise money to support Malawi as a country and our friends in South Lunzu. We have raised money to twin our toilets in the school with those in Malawi and each class sponsors one of the children in the school in South Lunzu.
Please see below our latest pictures and letter from Caroline and Dancun, who we sponsor in Kenya.
Want to find out more about Hope & Kindness? Why not visit their website?
We regulary support the work of Birmingham City Mission, sending our Harvest donations and supporting the Christmas Toy appeals.
SIAMS
SIAMS is the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools. The SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school's Christian vision on pupils and adults. Please find our most recent report below.
RE CURRICULUM & POLICY
You can find further information about our RE Curriculum and long term plans in the Curriculum part of our website.
