In Proverbs, we read that wisdom is sought and pursued more than riches, fame and honour.  James 1:5 says that God, in his great love and mercy, wants to give wisdom to those who ask. Knowledge and wisdom go hand in hand. Wisdom involves a healthy dose of perspective and the ability to make sound judgements about a subject, thus moving from knowing to applying. (Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad). We use scripture to guide us so that we have a kingdom perspective, (which is where our motto ‘Lord Direct us Today’ is rooted in), and we recognise that our heavenly father gives wisdom, at our point of need. Our community is made up of staff and students from the Christian faith, other faiths and none, however our focus on scripture unifies us and teaches us lifelong wisdom.

Those Leading:
To us, wisdom is the ability to make good decisions based on proper discernment and judgement. As leaders we seek to make decisions so that staff and students flourish. 2 Chronicles 1:10 is our prayer that God would give us wisdom and knowledge that we may lead his people.

In 2 Timothy 3:6-17, we read that scripture is useful for more than just learning. It has the power, through the enabling of the Holy Spirit, to teach, rebuke, correct and train. It is with this thought that we vision a school community that ‘Learns with Wisdom’.

Those teaching:
As teachers, we make it our priority to be excellent in our classroom practice. This means that we invest time and resources into developing our gifts, pedagogy and knowledge so that in turn, our students acquire knowledge and understanding. We know that this acquired knowledge will open doors for our students when they leave.

Those Learning:
Finally, we want our students to make good decisions so they live long, wise and healthy lives. Our curriculum and our conversations and spiritual guidance seeks to provide lifelong wisdom so that our students thrive wherever life takes them.

Hope is an anchor for the soul. We read in Jeremiah 29:11, ""For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.""

Those Leading:
We seek to speak words which foster hope. At a leadership level this means encouraging staff to look beyond themselves and their own resource; Psalm 121 "I lift my eyes to thills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord the maker of Heaven and earth."

Those teaching:
We invest in staff development, recognising that each member of staff’s contribution is highly valued and their own progression is important.

Proverbs 13:12 states that a life without hope brings sickness, but hope brings life. Hope is both inspired by the stories and experiences of others, as well as by rooting our lives in God and seeking him.

Those Learning:
For our students, we impart hope through communicating that there is a better way, through collective worship, words of encouragement or positive affirmations. For some this fans the flames of hope, whilst we work hard to ignite this in others.

Love is the foundation of our interactions with others and underpins our policies and decision-making steps. When questioned by a teacher of the Law in Matthew 22:37 as to which of the commandments was the most important, Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind”. He went on to say, “The second is; Love your neighbour as yourself.” It is the value Jesus put on love, that we aim to communicate to all those involved in the life of the school.

Those Leading:
Saint Wilfrid’s is a diverse community, as such there are many differences, however we are called to love one another. Within John 10:11-13 we see an example of care based on love. John explains that a 'hired hand' runs away when the wolf attacks because he cares nothing for the sheep. As leaders we believe that we are called to be good shepherds to protect, care for and nurture those entrusted to us, acting in love as Jesus modelled.

Those teaching:
We therefore seek to foster an environment where good working environments are the norm, where people are treated with grace and conversations are held with integrity, honesty and clarity.

We pray that the conversations between all staff and students embody this.

Those Learning:
We teach our students what it is to live in love and how to love each other and themselves.

‘Koinonia’ is a Greek work, used in the early church to describe ‘Christian fellowship’. It is used twenty times in the New Testament to describe the unity and togetherness experienced by the early church. In Romans 12:15-16, we read of the closeness felt by those early believers: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.” We celebrate the togetherness we feel at Saint Wilfrid’s and look to take advantage of every opportunity to grow together. We do this through worshiping together, through House competitions as we play together, in sporting events as we compete with and against each other, and as we interact with each other on a daily basis.

Those Leading:
We aim to foster this within our staff as we regularly meet, whether that be tea and toast on a Friday morning, through weekly CPD session or house activities online.

Those teaching:
In the classroom this is through actively listening to each other’s discussions and points.

Those Learning:
Beyond the classroom we provide opportunities for our students to flourish. They can share, celebrate and nurture their gifts, whether that be music, drama, sport, debating etc. We also encourage our students to think of our community beyond our school gates as we work in partnership with local churches and charities.

In Hebrews 10:24, we read the fruits of Koinonia and the mission of our faith community: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.”