St Benedict's C of E VA Junior School Vision and Ethos

"Life in all its Fullness." (John 10:10)

Our intention is that the community of St Benedict’s C of E VA Junior School nurture and educate the whole child. We encourage our pupils to hope and dream for a bright future and, within our Christian environment, we foster a sense of self-belief in our pupils, promoting positive mental health and well-being.  

At St Benedict’s C of E Junior School, our intention is to encourage every child to aspire to achieve their dreams and succeed. We wish for all our pupils to appreciate ‘Life in all its fullness’ (John 10:10), so we offer a broad and varied range of activities including visits to art galleries and historical monuments, outdoor activities, after school clubs and opportunities to try a broad range of sports.  We celebrate all participation and achievements; academic, sporting, creative and community.

Glastonbury is a vibrant and creative community and at St Benedict’s we pride ourselves in developing artistic talent. We are lucky to have both important historical monuments and a stunning natural environment on our doorstep to inspire us. We have a strong tradition in all areas of the arts including visual and performing arts. We strive to foster children’s ideas and imaginations as well as their academic talents. We promote strong community links and have a wide range of visitors including community leaders, monks, authors, poets, police officers, sporting figures and even documentary producers!

Our broad, skills-based curriculum reflects the above, with its stress on personal development and preparing each and every pupil for the next stage of their education and life.  Our intention is that learning is experience-based and meaningful and that our children develop the skills, knowledge and character to contribute to the local and wider community.

Key points from the latest Inspection of Anglican Schools report (January 2024) are:-

“Warm relationships and extending hospitality are hallmarks of the school.”

"The vision is deeply embedded in daily life and is understood by all, giving clear direction for improvements. Pupils articulate a thoughtful understanding of the vision, giving a variety of instances where it makes a difference. They explain that it, ‘changes their mindset’ or ‘makes your life full of new possibilities’."

"Pupils, of all faiths, confidently articulate the difference values make to their lives. There are fine examples where pupils develop resilience to learning and persevering when challenges make them think."

"The vision addresses the needs of the community. Staff go beyond parental expectations to ‘walk alongside’ families offering support. Through trusting relationships, they show God’s love in challenging times, notably in establishing a food pantry."

"There is nurture for pupils and adults’ mental health and wellbeing. All understand approaches which help them, creating a calm learning environment. This is an impressive feature of the school’s work."