Church School Key Information

Introduction to St John’s

Welcome to St John’s Church of England Primary School.  We are an inclusive Primary School regardless of faith, race, culture and ability.  We value teaching about diversity and differences in every sense and believe that this is intrinsic to developing the whole child so that they grow up to be responsible and compassionate citizens who make a positive contribution to society in the future.  Being a Church School is not a brand or a name by title alone, it is truly and deeply rooted in our ethos and approach to education.  I hope that the brief summaries help you to find out more about who we are as a Church School, but if you have any questions then please do not hesitate to contact the school directly.

Links with Digswell Parish

We are proud of our partnership with Digswell Parish; it’s not something that we receive just by being a Church School, it is a commitment that we hold close to our hearts.  By sending your children to our school, we expect that our parents and carers will engage proactively and positively with the Church by attending events whether it be a joint event between the School and the Church as well as those organised by the Church.

RE Curriculum

At St John’s we dedicate one hour a week to the teaching of Religious Education from Year 1 to Year 6, with shorter sessions taking place in Early Years.  We are able to provide a truly balanced and rich curriculum as our Foundation Subjects are taught in a way to compliment and develop our English Curriculum.  Our Teachers use the scheme of work, Understanding Christianity as the basis for the children’s learning about Christianity and this is supported further through the use of the Bedfordshire RE Agreed Syllabus.  As a Voluntary Aided School in Hertfordshire, we have adopted the Bedfordshire RE Agreed Syllabus as it maps out the units of work from Understanding Christianity, which means that we do not have to reinvent the wheel.

Collective Worship

Collective worship is the heart beat of the school and is integral in everything that we do.  It is rooted in the foundations and denomination in which the school was founded upon.  Collective Worship is not just a term to refer to assemblies that children might attend.  Collective Worship at St John’s is given a special priority within the school day, and is a time when various groups within the school can meet together for prayer and reflection.  Collective Worship can take place at any time and in any groupings. Worship can take place in a variety of settings – for example, in the school hall, in a class, outside, or in the local church etc.

Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS)

Our last SIAMS inspection was in October 2024.  Our current grading judges St John’s to be a Good Church of England School.