Helping Everyone Shine Their Light

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14–16

Heathlands is a Church of England voluntary controlled primary school. Our Christian vision, Helping Everyone Shine Their Light, sits at the heart of all we do. It shapes how we learn, how we treat one another and how we serve our village and the wider world.

Our story: a village on a hill

The name Bergholt means “wood on a hill”, and our vision is deeply rooted in the history of our village.

In the 1850s, a group of agricultural workers, who became known as “the fire raisers”, set nine fires in protest at low wages and the introduction of farm machinery. The fires could be seen from Colchester, and West Bergholt became known as a “beacon village”. At the time, it was called “the most ignorant village in the county”, and it was suggested that the answer was to bring people back to church and provide a school to educate the young in “better ways”.

In 1858, the Church of England built our school on the Heathlands.

More than 160 years later, we see the courage and conviction of the fire raisers living on in more positive ways. We view our school, St Mary’s Church, the parish and the wider community as a pioneering community, and innovation is a vibrant part of village life. Knowing that we are a village on a hill which cannot be hidden encourages both Heathlands and St Mary’s to pursue new and creative ways of serving others. Our Year 6 pupils explore this story each year during their retreat.

Our Christian values

The values that help us shine our light every day are: Trust, Respect, Enjoyment, Courage, Kindness,

Our vision guides the decisions of leaders and governors and shapes how we evaluate our effectiveness as a Church school. 

Our curriculum and spirituality

Our curriculum is shaped by our vision. We want every child to discover and develop their gifts so that they can shine their light in the world. 

Spirituality helps our children to be happy, to flourish and to live life in all its fullness. We use Windows, Mirrors and Doors as a shared way of reflecting:

• Windows: looking out at the world and noticing its wonders. These include the “wows” that fill us with awe and gratitude and the “ows” that make us question and wonder.
• Mirrors: looking in, alone and together, to reflect, ask important questions and learn from one another’s thoughts.
• Doors: stepping through to respond, by changing how we think or act, expressing ourselves creatively through art, music, drama or dance, or taking action to help others.

Spiritual development happens across school life. Some moments are planned, in RE, collective worship and SMSC, while others simply crop up in any lesson. We aim to make the most of both, helping everyone in our school community to grow in confidence and faith in themselves.

Collective worship

Collective worship is at the heart of our school day. It is a time to come together, reflect, pray and celebrate.

Our church: St Mary’s, West Bergholt

We have close links with our parish church, St Mary’s. [Name of vicar/rector] is involved in school life and regularly leads worship. Pupils visit the church throughout the year, and we mark major Christian festivals, such as Harvest, Christmas and Easter, together in church or in school.

For more information about St Mary’s, please visit https://www.stmaryswestbergholt.co.uk/

Justice and responsibility

Shining our light means making a difference for others. Inspired by Jesus’ care for those on the margins, we encourage pupils to make ethical choices, speak up for what is right and take responsibility for their actions and their community.

Pupils take on responsibilities such as School Captains, SPupi; Governors, Worship Council, Eco Council, Multi-Schools Ambassadors, Play Leaders. We support charities including  our local food bank, and our inclusive approach, including our specialist SEND provision, helps children build relationships with people who think and act differently to themselves.

Religious education

We believe high-quality religious education helps pupils understand the nature, role and influence of religion and belief in the world. RE encourages pupils to ask big questions, think critically, discuss differing beliefs respectfully and reflect on their own ideas about meaning and purpose.

Our RE lead is Mrs Martin. 

SIAMS inspection

As a Church of England school, alongside Ofsted we are inspected under the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS). For our school, this is organised through the Diocese of Chelmsford.

Our most recent SIAMS inspection was in June 2019.  You can read the full report on our School Inspections page.