Our Drivers, Vision and Christian Ethos
ESJ Vision Statement
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Romans 12
At ESJ we celebrate every member of our family; we embody our Christian ethos through living well together with people of different cultures, genders, sexualities, faiths and abilities. We ready students for life through an ambitious, relevant curriculum that develops wisdom of the world around them and promotes a love of learning. Using this knowledge, ESJ students will courageously challenge outdated views, confidently communicate and demonstrate compassion through aspiring to make a difference in their local community and the wider world.
At ESJ we:
Live well together
We are polite and well-mannered to all members of our community and respect our environment.
Develop wisdom in all
We learn new ideas and information about our subjects and the world we live in
Are Courageous
We don’t give up when things get difficult.
Have the Highest hopes and aspirations
We want to make a positive difference to our local and global community
CHAPLAINCY
CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL
Epping St. John’s School is a Church of England school that offers a caring community underpinned by the Christian values of acceptance and respect to encourage personal excellence and resilience. We have strong links with our local parish church, St. John’s Church, with regular visits to school by the Clergies and regular visits to the local church to commemorate different Christian calendared events.
Our Christian ethos means that there is an absolute openness and acceptance of those who do not share this faith.
As part of the Christian family, we show love and care to our community in the charity and volunteering activities that we get involved in each year.
Our vision is to create an environment where students embody the Christian values of the school and represent not only our ethos but also that of the community we live in.
CHAPLAINCY TEAM
As well as the weekly assembly the Chaplaincy Team have been instrumental in devising a thought for the week to allow students a daily weekly act of reflection. These nuggets are often verses from the Bible, Church teachings or are the words of inspirational Christian figures. Weekly Bible quotes are incorporated into all front slides across the whole school curriculum for reflection.
The thoughts for the week also reflect the outlook of some of the other religious traditions found in our local and school communities. This allows students to learn about and from other viewpoints as well as making connections between all peoples of faith.
Collective worship takes place via daily form focus, weekly assemblies and daily prayer. Students are expected to say the Lord’s prayer if Christian or bow their heads as a sign of respect if non-Christian. The school prayer has been written and chosen by the Christian Ethos working party and students.
In addition, members of the Chaplaincy team are involved in advising, reviewing and monitoring how the school honours it commitment to the core values of Church of England education. They support the school in preparing their DFEs Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) and on acting on the outcomes of the inspection. They are also a vital part of our governing body.
The Chaplaincy team also come to the school twice a week to spend time with students and staff alike. People wishing to ask questions about faith/belief can drop in speak to the team.