Emscote Infant School
and
All Saints' C of E Junior School
Church School
All Saints' is a Church of England School - it seeks to be distinctively Christian yet inclusive of people of all faiths and none. We are part of the Diocese of Coventry and are supported by the Diocesan Board of Education. We have close links with All Saints' Church; we hold services there on a termly basis, Rev. Diane Thompson leads regular assemblies in school and she, along with other members of the congregation, are Foundation members of our governing body.
All Church schools receive ‘Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools’ (SIAMS) inspections, approximately every 5 years. SIAMS focuses on the effect that the Christian ethos of a church school has on the children and young people who attend it. The principal objective of an inspection is to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a church school.
Amanda Gorman, who performed a speech at the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the 46th president of the USA. She spoke about the dreams that she has for her future – from such small
beginnings: ‘…a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.’ And her words will have given hope to a new generation of Americans to hope for a better world…. words are powerful things.
R.E. Visit: The Sikh Gurdwara
On April 2nd Year 4 went to the Sikh Gurdwara to further their learning about Sikhism. It was a really interesting afternoon where lots of the children's questions were answered. Everyone, men and women, had to wear a head covering, wash their hands and take off their shoes. We got to see the special room where the holy book (the Guru Granth Sahib) is kept when it's not being read. We all enjoyed the tour of the huge building, including the kitchens and dining area (the Langar) where they were all offered sweets at the end! We are grateful that the Sikh community made us feel very welcome and we enjoyed our learning.
Jewish Visitor - Ros Johnson from Coventry
On Tuesday 26th February 2019, Year 4 were priviledged to have a Jewish visitor come in to teach them about her religion. She showed lots of interesting objects linked to their beliefs and told us all about her son's Barmitzvah - this is like a 'coming of age' ceremony which Jewish teenagers do at the Synagogue when they are 13. The children asked lots of relevant questions and were really attentive.
We then got to try on some special garments - the cap called a Kippah and the shawl called a Talit. Everyone had a go at decorating and making their own Kippah from cardboard.
Our year 4 children were privileged to attend the Christingle Service at Coventry Cathedral. We sang our song 'Hope of Heaven', and each child was given an orange and a candle to make our own Christingles back at school.
We discussed the meaning of Christingle, the candle, the cocktail sticks with sweets and the ribbon that is tied around the middle.
Diocese 100 year Celebrations at Coventry Cathedral
On Tuesday we were lucky to be involved with the Diocese 100 year Celebrations at Coventry Cathedral.
A spectacular array of banners, stunning music, accomplished drama and an inspirational address by Bishop Christopher combined to create a truly memorable and joyful morning.
The service was attended by our worship reps from Years 5 and 6, Rev Diane and Mrs Finney (one of our governors) who very kindly made our gorgeous new banner for this occasion. You will soon be able to see it hanging in the school entrance. Can you spot our children in the photo of the service?
Tree Planting
All church schools who took part in the Centenary celebrations for the Diocese of Coventry were presented with trees to plant in their grounds. These trees will provide a lasting memory of the celebrations and are intended to symbolise hopes for the future. Some Y4 children helped to plant one of the trees along with a special plaque; having just returned from Coventry Cathedral for the Christingle Service, the significance of this connection was clear to all.
Official unveiling of Spirituality artwork
On Friday 14th September, a very special assembly was held in school. During Faith week in 2017, our children explored spirituality in their classes. Their artistic representations were used by local artist, Jo Murphy, to create a wonderful mural. The original artwork can now be seen in our meeting room but the design has been transferred onto tiles to create a stunning centrepiece for our Garden of Reflection.
We were pleased to welcome Linda Wainscott, director of the DBE (Diocesan Board of Education) along with Jo Murphy for an official 'unveiling' of the artwork. During the assembly, we recapped the learning behind the artwork and updated it with further learning from the week when we had the Cross of Nails in school this year. Some children explained the thinking behind their entries to the 'Spirited Arts Competition.' It was a very special and moving experience for all.
Muslim visitor brings RE to life!
In RE year 6 have been looking into the question: “What does it mean to be a Muslim in Britain today?” They have been learning about how the Five Pillars are very important to Muslims so it was great when our Muslim neighbour, and now friend to the school, Mrs Attiya Shams, came to speak and the children could put their understanding into the context of real lives. She helped them understand more about Muslim practices such as prayer positions and taught them more about the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book. At the end the children asked questions about many aspects of Islam. We are very grateful to Mrs Shams for her time and effort.
In RE year 5 are learning about how the ‘Big Picture’ of the Bible is told through the illustrations of the Big Frieze which we have hanging in the school hall. They are also beginning to see how the Big Story of the Bible can be explained through 8 key Christian concepts such as the Trinity, Creation, Incarnation and the Gospel. They are getting really good at matching the concepts to the sections of the story!
Our 'Reflection Space'
Special activities were planned to take place during the period of time that the Cross of Nails was in school. A special Reflection Zone room was set up and all of the children enjoyed their visits there - all of the adults in school were super-impressed with the children's thoughtful responses. The Coventry labyrinth was set up in the hall during the week, with children reflecting on each sentence in the Lord's Prayer at different points in the labyrinth
In their classes, children continued to explore their understanding of spirituality and created
pieces of art to enter NATRE's Spirited Arts Competition.
The children were encouraged to reflect on an art installation which is in All Saints' for the period of Lent. It is called The Blue, the Dim and the Gold by local artist, Jake Lever. In another activity, the children had the opportunity to try on a rnage of beautiful vestments and look at wall hangings and finally, they spent time in the sanctuary looking at a range of artefacts used in church, some for special occasions, others for regular usage.
The children were really engaged with all of the activities and came up with some very thoughtful responses - it was a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting day for all.
On Thursday 26th April Year 4 visited the Sikh Gurdwara to find out more about Sikhism. In RE their topic focuses around the question: What it means to be a Sikh in Britain today? They had a really interesting time and learned loads! They thought the building was amazing - and huge! The people were very friendly and everyone had a drink and biscuit at the end.
In RE year 5 are exploring the Christian concept of Salvation. They have been doing different activities to help them understand the idea of 'sacrifice'. Last week they each wrote something they had thought, said or done which was wrong on a piece of paper, this was similar to confessing a 'sin' - they kept this completely private . We then went into the garden of reflection and all took turns to burn our piece of paper in fire bucket. After this activity we discussed our thoughts and feelings - some children felt as if a weight had been lifted, others that it felt 'fresh', like making a new start as their 'sin' had gone for ever. This was a useful illustration of what Christians believe Jesus did by dying for people's sins on the cross.
In RE year 5 have been learning about the Christian concept of Salvation: What did Jesus do to save human beings? They learnt about the 'Stations of the Cross' which depict events in the final few days of Jesus' life.
We used Drama to act out each of these events to help us fully grasp this important story. We will go on to explore why these events are so important to Christians.
On Thursday 16th November, Year 6 visited the Mosque in Leamington Spa. Our session, which was led by Mrs Attia Shams, allowed Year 6 to ask a variety of questions. Also, Mrs Shams explained the meaning of Islam. During our visit, Year 6 were lucky enough to eat samosas and cupcakes- they were delicious!
The visit was very informative and we learnt something new. A big thank you to Mrs Shams and her team for organising such an interesting morning.
On Wednesday 11th October, year 3 visited the Hindu Temple known as the Shree Krishna Mandir in Leamington Spa. The children enjoyed looking at all the deities (gods) behind the big curtain and sketching some of them.
On Thursday 25th May every class took part in a prayer day at All Saints' church.
As usual, children took part in an Easter Service at All Saints’ Church. They all performed exceptionally well and were highly praised by Reverend Diane and the parents who attended.
Year 3 have been learning about Hinduism in RE. We have learnt about the biggest Hindu festival, Divali and how Rama and Sita are the main heroes of the story. It is a festival of light and Divali means row of lights. We made diva lamps out of clay, painted them and added sequins and varnish.
In RE Year 6 have been learning about 'Worship' in Christianity and Sikhism so we planned a trip to the Sikh Gurdwara to find out more about how the Sikh community worship at their temple. Everyone was asked to cover their heads as a sign of respect and once inside we took off our shoes and washed our hands.
As part of our Religious Education topic we are exploring how different faith groups show care in the community. On Friday 3rd March, Year 4 visited the Salvation Army in Leamington Spa where Major John led a presentation on the work of the Salvation Army. All the children designed a flag, tried on the uniforms and had a go on the cornet! The children asked very insightful questions and we all learnt so much about the good work of the Salvation Army.
On Wednesday 7th December year 4 visited Coventry Cathedral to take part in their Christingle service, with our children performing the song Hope of Heaven. Afterwards, we walked around the cathedral then went into the ruins of the old cathedral. The children noticed the words Father Forgive on one of the walls, seeing the link between this and the cross of nails prayer we say together in school every Friday.
Each classroom area of reflection now has an Advent display; some mark Christmas around the world, some have 'challenges' for children to think about, linked with our half-termly theme of Compassion. Many show the colour purple as an important church colour at this time of year.
Year 6 went to All Saints' Church as part of their RE studies about the Christian ceremonies of baptism and confirmation. We re-enacted the baptism of two babies, Annabelle and Joseph. The children volunteered to act as parents and godparents. the vicar, Rev Diane Thompson, taught us all about the three main elements of baptism: water, light and the cross. After sketching some of the artefacts we enjoyed a baptism party of squash and biscuits.
In RE year 5 have been learning about Rules in Christianity and Buddhism. To help them understand the five Buddhist precepts (rules) they visited the Forest Hermitage near Sherbourne. A Buddhist monk called Manapo taught them lots of interesting facts about Buddhism. The children tried a short, peaceful meditation and asked lots of insightful quesitons. After sketching artefacts in the Shrine Room they enjoyed a stroll through the beautiful gardens looking at the statues.
Year 6 visited Coventry Cathedral in April. In the morning they contemplated the theme of reconciliation they found as they looked around the cathedral, while in the afternoon they completed artwork inspired by the art they found that was linked to the theme of peace.
Every class took part in the Easter church service, presenting the Easter story through six scenes and songs.
Year 4 learnt about "The Salvation Army: Then and Now" on their visit to the Leamington Corps, as part of their RE topic on Caring for Others. Many children donated men's toiletries to their Way Ahead homeless project. They enjoyed trying on the uniform, sketching items of interest, asking questions and playing some brass instruments.
All the children were involved in leading the Christmas Church Service. Their reading, acting and singing were fantastic and the service was enjoyed by all the children and their families.
We were pleased to welcome so many parents, grandparents and friends to celebrate our Harvest Service with us in October. The worship at all of our church services is led by the children, with each year group leading a different section of the service. Thanks to everyone for their harvest donations which were gratefully received by the Warwick and Leamington Foodbank, the Salvation Army’s Way Ahead Project and Helping Hands. The three charities are co-ordinating their harvest collections to make sure your donations get to people and families that most need them in the local area this autumn.
As part of our work on Christian Distinctiveness each classroom has developed its own "Area of Reflection". This interactive space reflects our half-termly Christian assembly themes and is used for class assemblies and for children to reflect on at any other stage. These areas have been so successful we were keen to develop an outside space to extend this approach. Thanks to funding from All Saints' Church and the King Henry VIII Endowed Trust we were able to take advantage of an opportunity presented by the recent building work to create a fully enclosed courtyard Garden of Reflection. The children have been enjoying using this calm, reflective space for quiet reading, for peaceful sitting and for group or class work.
For our Faith Day in 2015 all children were learning about symbols used by different world Faiths. Each child created a piece of A5 artwork for display in school, and some designs were recreated on cobbles which now surround the water feature in our new Garden of Reflection.
