Our Christian Values

We have six Christian Values that are embedded in school life. They are:

Courage, Perseverance, Respect, Joy, Forgiveness and Compassion

Each value is linked to a story from the Bible and backed up with a biblical reference. This helps to explain what each value means. As the children move through Holy Trinity, they will develop a deeper understanding of the story and its meaning.

Autumn 1 – COURAGE

‘Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.’ 1 Corinthians 16:13

The Bible is rich in stories of courage and endurance. Christians are motivated by faith in the grace of Jesus in giving us his life as a model to follow and so are prepared to stand up for what is right in the face of danger and hardship. Jesus told his followers that, ‘If anyone wants to be my disciple, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’ (Matthew 16:24). For Christians, living with courage may mean sacrificing wealth, plans and ambitions in order to follow the path that God wills for them.

Courage is also about a life-long process of challenging ourselves to be the best that we can be – even when this becomes hard. For children at Holy Trinity, this could mean the courage to say ‘no’ when everyone else wants you to do something you do not want to do; the courage to stick at a task even when it is difficult or the courage to stand by your beliefs even when people laugh at you. This value is something that is important for children to develop as they go through their lives.

How we live this out in school:

Having the courage to say ‘no’ when everyone else wants you to do something you do not want to do.
Having the courage to stick to a task even when it is difficult.
Having the courage to stand by your beliefs even when people laugh at you.

We will be linking Courage to the story of ‘David and Goliath’ (Samuel 1:17)

Autumn 2 – PERSEVERANCE

‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.’ Philippians 4:13

Jesus frequently encouraged his disciples to 'endure patiently' the difficulties and obstacles they encountered and to persevere in the face of adversity. He himself trusted in God even when his enemies tried to stop his work and plotted his death.

How we live this out in school:

Have a go – don’t be afraid to try and don’t give up
Try your hardest, even when things are difficult
Embrace challenges, don’t be afraid to make mistakes
Learn from your mistakes and forgive yourself
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again
Reflect on your efforts and achievements

We will be linking Perseverance to the story of ‘Noah’s Ark’ (Genesis 6-9)

Spring 1 – RESPECT

‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’ John 2

Respect for others – everyone is special; everyone's opinion matters; everyone's contribution is important; everyone's feelings should be considered; everyone's faith is sacred.

Respect can mean simply treating each other with politeness and courtesy, and recognising that everyone’s contribution is important and that everyone’s feelings should be considered. At Holy Trinity, we regularly discuss how respecting someone does not mean that we always agree with the other person but that we are prepared to listen and share our views without rudeness or impatience.

Christians recognise that respect needs to start with respect for ourselves and our own unique contribution to our homes, schools or communities. Having self-respect means being able to celebrate our gifts and talents, looking after ourselves and the bodies that God has given us. Having self-respect also means nurturing our talents so that we the best we can be, honouring how God has made us and being confident about who we are.

How we live this out in school:

Respect yourself
Treat others the way you would like to be treated
Respect others’ thoughts, ideas and beliefs
Embrace difference
Look after your belongings and your equipment
Take care of our school
Take care of our environment
Gain respect by giving respect
Forgive others and seek reconciliation

We will be linking Respect to the story of ‘Jesus in the Temple ’–John 2

Spring 2 – JOY

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

In the Christian faith, joy is more than just a temporary feeling of happiness; it is a lasting gift from God that remains even when circumstances are difficult.

Even while locked in a dark prison after being hurt, Paul and Silas sang and praised God. Their joy was so powerful it led to an earthquake and the salvation of their jailer, showing that joy is a choice we can make even in "scary" times.

How we live this out in school:

Choosing gratitude
Acts of service
Finding Joy in challenges
Worship and singing
Reading and following God's word

We will be linking Joy to the story of ‘Paul and Silas in prison ’–Acts 16:16-34

Summer 1 – FORGIVENESS

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you") Ephesians 4:32

The Christian value of forgiveness means letting go of the hurt and anger we feel when someone is mean to us, just as God lets go of our mistakes because of His love. It is a foundational Christian value because it reflects how God treats us: with mercy and love instead of punishment.

How we live this out in school:

Practice specific apologies – Name the thing that they are forgiving
Choose Empathy First – Asking if a friend might be stressed, tired, or hurting themselves.
Make Amends – Forgiveness can be lived out through action. If a child breaks a sibling's toy, they can offer to help fix it.
Respond to Hurts Quickly – Address small hurts—like rude comments or disagreements—as soon as they happen to prevent bitterness from growing.

We will be linking Forgiveness to The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32)

Summer 2 – COMPASSION

‘Be compassionate and kind to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.’ Ephesians 4:32

At Holy Trinity, we teach children that their attitudes and actions must reflect kindness and compassion. Compassion is much stronger than sympathy; if you have compassion, you step into someone’s shoes, share their experiences and sufferings and want to support them or act on their behalf. It is not just feeling sorry for someone but actually doing something about making their life or situation better. Compassion is about ‘standing in someone else’s shoes’ when they are having a hard time. In other words, trying to understand how they might be feeling and doing our best to try to help. At Holy Trinity we talk about showing compassion at a range of different levels, such as local, nation and global.

How we live this out in school:

Everyone matters, no one is more important than anyone else
Take care of others
Forgive one another
Use your voice and hands for kindness
Care for our world and our environment
Be humble, recognise other people’s achievements
Think about others, listen to their thoughts and ideas
Stand in some else’s shoes

We will be linking Compassion to ‘The Parable of the Good Samaritan’ (Luke 10:25-37)