Love one another as I have loved you. (John 15:12) 

Vision overview

All aspects of school life are underpinned by the belief that God loves everyone as an individual, so we should love both ourselves and others in the same way. God's love is powerful, sacrificial and eternal. Although we can never fully emulate this kind of unique love, we seek to follow the teachings of Jesus to reach further towards our goal. The Christian vision applies to every person involved with the school because everyone is equal here. It provides a common aim that holds us together and multiplies all our best qualities, without seeking to divide or change anyone's culture or beliefs. This kind of love takes hard work, dedication and a deep commitment to ourselves and the entire Hope family.

The Christian vision is about what we do rather than what we say. Love is a powerful verb and not one we use lightly! It's more than being kind and nice to each other - love is a challenge and makes a profound difference in the world. 

Vision development and explanation

The vision was developed from a parent and school survey, during a time of lockdown, when questions were asked to discover the best of Hope Hamilton and what the school means to everyone. It was a great time to reflect on the best bits of school that we were missing out on at home! 

When the vision was developed, Hope Hamilton was part of a small Trust called The Vines and each school picked the most relevant part of the Trust vision The Vine and the Branches. In March 2023, all the Vines schools, joined a larger group - Learn Academies Trust. Their strategic aims are learning and fellowship through equity, well-being and excellence. Our school vision compliments these aims as equity and well-being are only possible when relationships are genuine, equal and positive. From this strong foundation comes excellence.

This graphic was developed by school and Church leaders and through the talents of the Hope Church Secretary, Wai Wing Wan, to help everyone understand and remember our school Christian vision. It was important to present the vision as a graphic so everyone can understand it equally, as there are many different languages spoken by school families and different faiths are practiced.

The purple words are the school learner qualities and the blue words, an interpretation of the survey responses, describe the values by which we live out the vision. The vine represents growing together in God's love, each being dependent on each other and the main plant for nourishment. The grapes are because we are fruitful as learners and as people, when we work towards this vision. 

Hamilton is a diverse area where people live in harmony and appreciation of the things that make us different and the things we have in common. Click here to hear our Christian vision in different languages! https://vimeo.com/1033048491 

Respect for different cultures and beliefs is an intrinsic part of the Christian vision and learning about other faiths is a vital part of the curriculum. Racism is not tolerated and children are taught to value and celebrate diversity and to be proud of who they are.

Vision Inspired Curriculum

These are the competencies that will enable children to love one another as they grow to become citizens and custodians of our world. The whole curriculum is designed to facilitate this learning as children progress through the school.

Faith is freely discussed and children have many opportunities to question and to develop their own unique spirituality. This blueprint explains how we understand the concept of spirituality and how we provide these learning opportunities and experiences for children and adults in school.

The Christian vision is not only something that is talked about regularly. It is something that every child experiences, everyday in ordinary school life. It is about the way they see others and themselves.

We hope that by being part of a caring, loving community they will grow in their understanding of their own beliefs, whatever they may be, and develop their own sense of self worth.

The principle that we are all loved by God for who we are underpins an emphasis on developing self esteem and on teaching children how to develop positive relationships and resolve conflicts peacefully.

For children who find relationships difficult or who lack self confidence and have low self esteem, a learning mentor provides support in small groups. Every classroom has a peace table which is used by the children to talk about their problems and resolve differences.

Children's successes are celebrated and shared, whilst also developing the view that we learn through our mistakes. They learn to forgive themselves as well as one other and learn to put things right when they get them wrong.

The staff aim to model positive relationships in the way they relate to the children and each other. Our no shouting or shaming policy and the genuine care and concern by the staff for every child help each individual to feel valued, cared for and respected for who they are. Hugs and time spent listening are very much a part of relationships between staff and children as well as between the children themselves.

To find out what the Christian vision means, ask the children!