Dedham Church Of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

A Church School

Two hundred years ago, our school was founded by Edward Betts who put down some money for a school to help “educate the poor.”  Now, as Dedham Church of England Primary School, we continue to keep this founding principle at the heart of what we do.  “Guide each of us to be a light to the world” is our school vision, inspired by Matthew 5:14-16, and it encourages all at our school to be the best that they can be for the benefit of themselves and for the benefit of others.

There are 4630 Church of England Schools in the UK, all of which are supported by their local Diocesan Board of Education.  We belong to the Diocese of Chelmsford and are also a part of the Colchester Archdeaconary.  As a Voluntary Controlled (VC) School, we are managed by the local authority but we still maintain our distinctiveness as a Church of England School, so our vision and values are rooted in the principles of the Church of England.  As a church school, we welcome children and families of all faiths, or none, and we warmly welcome prospective parents to visit our school to see what makes our school special.  At Dedham Church of England Primary School, our children flourish, not only academically, socially and emotionally, but also spiritually too, owing to the curriculum we offer, the importance we place on relationships, and through the wide-ranging opportunities children have outside of the classroom.

Being spiritual does not necessarily mean that you have a faith.  At Dedham, children understand that spirituality is who they really are on the inside: it's the part of us that makes us think and feel.  This is formed and developed over time through 'ow, wow and now' moments and through relationships with self, others, the world around them, and, if they choose to, God.  As a school, we strive to provide children and staff with experiences both in and out of the classroom which will enable them to become more aware of themselves so that they can flourish spiritually.

We are incredibly lucky to have the support of St Mary's Church, Dedham, and look forward to regular visits from clergy and members of the congregation.  Every half term, collective worship is led by Reverend Phillip Young, as well as by the Lecturer of Dedham, Richard Hopkins, who is also our Chair of Governors.  In addition to this, Claire Arculus, the Children and Young People's Worker, runs Messy Church sessions, the 'Bounce' transition programme for Year 6, and Open the Book.  The whole school also visits the church at least once a term for collective worship, to which families are warmly invited to attend.

A daily act of collective worship is a statutory part of the curriculum for all schools and as a Church of England school, our collective worship both reflects the variety of the traditions found in the Church of England, as well as recognising and following the Christian liturgical year.  We strive to make our daily worship inclusive, invitational and inspiring so that all staff and children feel fully welcomed and a part of something bigger than themselves.  It is a moment in the school day for everyone to come together to either celebrate or to reflect.  Further information about collective worship can be found in our collective worship policy on the policies page.

We are proud to be an important part of the community of Dedham and value enormously the support which the school receives from the local community.