‘The Hackthorn Way’
We believe that our school is a truly unique and special place. We invited all the stakeholders of the school (pupils, parents, staff, the church, School Governors and the community) to reflect on what makes it so special and to consider words that started with the letters in Hackthorn, which summed up the ethos of our small, family, friendly school. The following nine words were the ones which were repeatedly mentioned and which we now refer to as 'the Hackthorn way'.
The whole community here have really embraced these values and one of our children even invented the 'Hackthorn way' rap. Interestingly the top value was Happiness (not a word you often hear in Education). The other values of Aspiration, Community, Kindness, Tradition, Honesty, Opportunity, Respect and Nurture sum up the ethos of our school perfectly.
We now have a large wooden signpost at the entrance of our school which was specially commissioned and constructed by our village craftsman with the school's values clearly carved on it. We focus on these values during assemblies. We are grateful to the Diocese of Lincoln for helping us to fund our sign.
◦HAPPINESS – ‘Rejoice in the Lord always (and again I say rejoice)’ Philippians 4:4-7
◦ASPIRATION – ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you are working for the Lord.’ Colossians 3:23
◦COMMUNITY – ‘How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.’ Psalm 133
◦KINDNESS – ‘Be kind and tender hearted to one another and forgive one another as God has forgiven you.’ Ephesians 4:32
◦TRADITION – ‘I praise you because you always remember me and follow the teachings that I have handed on to you.’ 1 Corinthians 11:21
◦HONESTY – ‘Let us love with actions and in truth.’ John 3:18
◦OPPORTUNITY – ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ Matthew 7:7
◦RESPECT – ‘In everything, set them an example by doing what is good.’ Titus 2:7
◦NURTURE – ‘Train up a child in the way they should go; and when they are old, they will not depart from it.’ Proverbs 22:6
