Ethos and Values

At Embleton Vincent Edwards CofE Aided Primary School as a community we provide ‘support for life’ for all our pupils following Jesus’ example of compassion, perseverance and respect - CPR.


Compassion – having regard for those less fortunate than we are, having empathy for others when they are struggling, helping others in practical ways when they cannot help themselves. 

Perseverance – keeping going in the face of challenge, determination, commitment to a task or a principle, tenacity and stickability, not being defeated by obstacles. 

Respect – recognising and valuing difference and diversity, having regard for “the other”, valuing tradition and culture other than our own, taking seriously a responsibility to care for creation, having respect for our own minds and bodies.


Our guiding narrative for support for life comes from two key teachings from Matthew’s Gospel: 


The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)

Jesus put before them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.’


The tiniest seed has the potential to grow and to be a place where life can flourish. 


Furthermore Jesus’ teaching about loving our neighbour as ourselves provides a focus for the privilege and responsibility of recognising our mutual responsibility to care for one another. Jesus embodied this in his life and ministry and is our role model. Everyone is our neighbour to be treated with compassion and respect even when we find it difficult. At our school we learn what it means to be a neighbour in a diverse and challenging world.  


Matthew 22:34-40

One of the pharisees, a lawyer, asked Jesus him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?’ He said to him, ‘ “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’