St Lukes Church of England School

[EduCativ]

St Luke's School was the first Church of England free school in the country. The school opened in September 2011 to serve the local community and we are fully inclusive, welcoming families of all faiths and none.

Our vision is to develop an excellent school where the Christian values of faith, hope, and love are evident in everything we do. Through nurturing our children, both academically and spiritually, we aim to provide them with secure foundations for life, so that they leave St Luke’s with an excellent round education and a love of learning.

We offer a rich and fulfilling teaching and learning environment which serves the local community of Hampstead, St Luke’s Church of England School is a Christian school for the whole community. By admitting boys and girls based on the proximity of their home to the school, St Luke’s School is fully inclusive and welcomes children and families of all faiths and none.

We aim to serve local children, parents, and the community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. Our Collective Worship follows Christian practices and we identify Christian perspectives where appropriate in the curriculum. If a parent wishes to exercise their legal right to withdraw their child from Collective Worship we will of course respect that decision but would note that our ethos is central to all that happens at school, We advise any parent who has a concern in this area to discuss the matter with the Headteacher.

We aim to:

• create a caring and supportive environment where children are encouraged to persevere and to learn from their mistakes
• inspire every pupil with a love of learning
• provide an excellent grounding in reading, writing, and numeracy so that all children can apply their skills across the curriculum and in everyday life
• provide a broad and balanced curriculum that is responsive to individual needs, based on, but not limited by, the National Curriculum
• promote a distinctively Christian ethos
• root the school in the local community.
• Our central concern is the education of the whole child. This stems from the Christian belief that all people are made in God’s image so all are equally worthy of care and all have a valuable contribution to make to the school and wider community.

From this belief also comes a determination to meet the individual learning, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of each child, through the small size of the school and the use of small teaching groups. Careful assessment of children’s skills and abilities when they join the school and continual monitoring of progress helps us to plan appropriate work for children and to identify and plan for those with Special Educational Needs.

Our vision is for the education of the highest quality, achieving good academic outcomes for pupils, and producing well-rounded individuals who combine care for others with a love for learning and an appreciation of the importance of spiritual and physical well-being.

This strapline was devised by Governors and staff in the first year of opening and underpins all the decisions we make at St Luke’s School, St Luke’s School, and its short history, which is unique! It opened in September 2011 as the first Church of England Free School in the country.

In 2010 there was a severe shortage of primary school places in the London Borough of Camden and the North West of the borough, where St Luke’s Church is located, was a particular pinch point. In Spring 2010 the Department of Education set out how local groups could serve their communities by setting up new state-funded independent schools where there was a proven need.

A local group from St Luke’s Church coordinated an application to convert the extensive church halls to set up a new school to serve the local community. A whirlwind of activity took the group from making its application in July 2010 through to being announced as one of just 16 successful proposals nationally in September 2010 through to signing a funding agreement in April 2011. Building work started in May 2011 and opened the doors to the first Reception class in September 2011.

The project was a partnership between St Luke’s Church and the local supporter's group, who ultimately formed the core of the first Governing Body. The London Diocesan Board for Schools provided a range of support including project management, are still involved through representation on the governing body and the provision of school support and advisory services.

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