Vision & Values
Christian Vision
At Dagenham Park Church of England School, we are proud to be a truly inclusive school that is rooted in Christian values. Our inclusive vision is central to everything we do, as we strive to support our diverse local community and ensure that every pupil can Believe, Grow and Succeed.
Believe, Grow, Succeed: Our Guiding Principles
Our school's vision and values are encapsulated in the three key standards of "Believe, Grow, Succeed." These principles are inspired by the parable of the Sower, where seeds fall on good ground and produce a rich harvest.
We Believe
We encourage our pupils to strive for excellence and maintain healthy minds and bodies. Through this standard, we foster confidence, a love of learning, and the skills needed to shape their lives well. We nurture hope and belief in each individual's abilities, and promote respect for every member of our school community and the wider world.
We Grow
We cultivate growth through a commitment to wisdom and continuous learning. We embrace opportunities to show kindness and humanity, and we promote the dignity of all. We seek to embed academic habits, emotional intelligence, and creativity across the curriculum, empowering our pupils to build confidence and reach their full potential.
We Succeed
Our pupils achieve success through resilience, courage, and the positive relationships they have built. Success is realised when they are able to cope wisely with challenges, and when forgiveness, truth, and reconciliation are possible. Ultimately, success is cemented through a recognition that we are all interconnected, and that each individual is called to build constructive relationships and contribute responsibly to our community.
Learning Habits
To support our Believe, Grow, Succeed standards, our school community also focuses on five key learning habits:
- Resilient: Developing the ability to overcome setbacks and persevere in the face of challenges.
- Collaborative: Working effectively with others to achieve shared goals.
- Inquisitive: Fostering a love of learning and a desire to explore new ideas.
- Disciplined: Cultivating the self-control and focus needed to achieve success.
- Imaginative: Encouraging creativity and innovative thinking.
These habits are woven into all aspects of school life, from classroom activities to our assembly and tutor programmes, as well as the wide range of opportunities offered to our pupils
Christian Values at the Heart of Our School
As a Church of England school, our vision and values are deeply rooted in Christian teachings and principles.
Believe in a healthy mind and body.
Just as the Bible teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:19, we believe that our bodies are a temple, and we must strive to maintain a healthy mind and body.
Believe in striving to be the best we can.
Inspired by the passage in Ecclesiastes 9:10, we believe in giving our all in every endeavour, always striving to be the best we can be.
Believe in respecting each other and ourselves.
Recognising that we are all made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), we place the utmost importance on respecting each other and ourselves.
Grow through learning.
Like Jesus and his disciples, we believe in growing through learning, both spiritually and academically, to develop wisdom and understanding.
Grow in humanity and kindness.
Guided by the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), we believe that kindness and humanity are fundamental to creating a loving and cohesive community.
Grow through embracing our opportunities.
Drawing inspiration from Colossians 4:5, we encourage our pupils to make the most of every opportunity for growth and development.
Succeed in making others proud.
As Galatians 6:4 states, ‘each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to anyone else…’. We believe in taking pride in ourselves here at Dagenham Park Church of England School and this leads to making others proud, too.
Succeed in being resilient and courageous.
Just as the early Christians faced persecution with resilience and courage, we too aim to embody these qualities in the face of adversity.
Succeed in building positive relationships.
Echoing the commandment to "love your neighbour as yourself" (Mark 12:31), we strive to promote loving, positive relationships in every situation.
The Parable of the Sower
The Believe, Grow, Succeed standards are underpinned by the parable of the Sower. Jesus tells of a farmer who sows seed indiscriminately. Some seed falls on the path (wayside) with no soil, some on rocky ground with little soil, some on soil which contains thorns, and some on good soil. In the first case, the seed is taken away; in the second and third soils, the seed fails to produce a crop; but when it falls on good soil, it grows and yields thirty-, sixty-, or a hundred-fold.
Jesus later explains to his disciples that the seed represents the Gospel, the Sower represents anyone who proclaims it, and the various soils represent people's responses to it.
‘But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.’
— Mark 4:10–20
From those who embody the values of Christ and are open to hearing his message good things will come.
This parable is essential for understanding the rest of Jesus' parables. It makes clear that as a school if we pay attention to the values of believe, grow, succeed and the school’s Christian message regardless of our individual beliefs the kingdom of God will succeed, and our school community will flourish.
Therefore, at Dagenham Park Church of England School our community will believe, grow and succeed.