CS

Church School

We are a Church of England Primary School, which first opened its doors in September 2015 and we have strong links to the Parish of St James and Emmanuel.

The Church of England's current vision for education is 'life in all its fullness' (John 10:10), encouraging children and adults to be expansive in imagination, compassionate in character, and unconditional in their love for neighbour. At West Didsbury Primary School it is a joy to partner with the Parish of St James and Emmanuel to work towards this vision, and towards Thrive Church of England Academy Trust's vision of 'Belonging, Believing and Becoming'. We do this in a variety of ways:-

We hold a number of key church services each school year in the community churches.
We also have a clergy-led act of worship held in school each week.

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Collective Worship

At West Didsbury CE Primary School, the daily act of collective worship is viewed as an integral and important part of school life. Through this and in the general ethos of the school we seek to promote our mission statement of Belonging, Believing and Becoming.

It is a time where we come together to share our love of God based on promoting the Christian values which permeate the ethos of the school. As such, the contributions of staff, pupils, church clergy and other visitors are valued highly. We also actively seek to encourage the attitudes of awe, wonder and reflection. We have regular contributions to assembly. In accordance with Manchester Diocesan Guidelines, our school ensures that every child is entitled to an opportunity for daily worship.

Parental Rights of Withdrawal from Collective worship in a Voluntary Aided School

The Worship and Religious Education provided by the school is in accordance with the Church of England. This foundation is also reflected in the curriculum and the whole life of the school community. Since the conduct of the school as a whole reflects the Church of England ethos, removal of pupils from Worship and/or Religious Education (as parents are legally entitled to do) cannot insulate them from the religious life of the school.

The 1996 Education Act gives parents the legal right to withdraw their children from collective worship.  This is upheld under the 1998 Act. 

As an Anglican school we hold great value in the power of collective worship to formulate, enhance and celebrate the power and wonder of our Christian faith. That said, if parents wish to withdraw their child from collective worship we request that the reasons be put in writing and submitted to the Head of School.

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