A Church School

Let Not Your Light Be Hidden... Let Your Light Shine!

‘You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they might see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’ Matthew 5:14-16

At St Matthew’s Church of England Primary school, we encourage all children to let their light shine and seek the light in others. We are proud to be a Church school serving a diverse community and warmly welcome families of all faiths or none. Our bible verse is taken from the Gospel of St Matthew and the reference to light resonates with our community as light is at the heart of many religious, cultural and family traditions.

We recognise that we are all special in God’s eyes and have unique gifts, which we nurture so that each of us has the opportunity to become the very best person that God intended us to be. We encourage our children to be proud of their achievements and for their light to shine so that they make a difference in the world.

Relationships and service are at the heart of our school and just as in the story of the Good Samaritan, we encourage our children to use their light to show compassion towards others. We also use the story to teach our school values which are Faith. Choices, Learning Together and Respect. We talk about how the Samaritan and Jew were enemies but the Samaritan overcame prejudice and showed respect to his enemy and made the choice to help a stranger. We explain how the innkeeper and Samaritan worked together to help the man and despite their differences in faith, he acted in a way so that his light shone through.