Church Foundation

St John the Baptist Primary School was founded by St John the Baptist Church, and important documents, including a Trust Deed, continue to define how our school is governed today. Our Statutory Instrument of Government states:

Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Church at parish and diocesan level. The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.

The school was originally located on a site opposite St John the Baptist Church. As the school grew, it later moved to its current location further down the road in Waltham Chase. Today, it caters for children aged 4 to 11 from the village and the wider local community. Our school has a warm, family atmosphere where parents, the Church and the community are encouraged to be fully involved in all aspects of school life.

We are very proud of our strong links with St John the Baptist Church. Throughout the year, we visit the Church for key events including Harvest, Christmas and Easter. Our children also take part in a range of Church and community activities. Classes regularly use the Church to support learning in Religious Education, History and other areas of the curriculum.

Collective Worship

We strongly believe that Collective Worship establishes a sense of school community and is a central part of our celebrations, reflections and establishment of values. Throughout the week there are times when the whole school comes together, or in key stages or as classes. We also seek to create opportunities each term for wider acts of Collective Worship when parents are also invited to join us.

Collective Worship is a legal requirement in schools and should take place daily. Following the legislation of the 1988 Education Act it ‘shall be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’. Each week a member of one of the local churches comes to lead our whole school assembly. Where appropriate we seek to involve the pupils in leading acts of worship too.

If parents would like to withdraw their child from Collective Worship then they need to contact the Headteacher. Parents can view the Collective Worship overview for each half term under our Teaching and Learning tab, so that they may make an informed decision (although please be aware that minor changes are always possible).