St Mark's Vision Statement

Let Your Light Shine

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in Heaven.

Our full school name is St Mark's Ecumenical Anglican/Methodist Primary School. 

At St Mark's we are proud of our Ecumenical Christian Foundation which is rooted in our involvement with our local Anglican & Methodist Churches and other denominations within the Weston super Mare area. Everyone within our school community all faiths or none endeavour to live out our Vision Statement  'Let your Light Shine' (Matthew 5:16) which echoes the Mission of both the Anglican & Methodist Churches of loving God & loving our neighbour. We serve the families of our local community & together we, as John Wesley the founder of Methodism encouraged, seek to 'Watch over one another in love'. In so doing, we trust that all our pupils will grow & flourish to reach their full potential in every area of their lives both now & in the future.

Our Core Christian Values - click on each value to learn more

 Collective Worship

Overview of Worship Themes

 

Our Approach to Spirituality

At St Mark's spirituality is at the heart of who we are and what we do. Rooted in the Christian faith, we believe that every child is uniquely created in the image of God, with the capacity to wonder, reflect, and grow in their understanding of themselves, others, the world, and God.

We nurture spirituality by:

• Encouraging reflection – creating space for stillness, prayer, and thoughtful discussion.

• Fostering connection – helping children build meaningful relationships with others, nature, and the wider community.

• Inspiring curiosity – inviting questions about life’s big ideas, values, and purpose.

• Celebrating diversity – respecting and learning from the beliefs and experiences of all.

Through worship, our curriculum, and daily interactions, we aim to help pupils develop a sense of hope, compassion, and responsibility, equipping them to live with integrity and purpose in God’s world.

 

 Courageous advocacy 

Courageous advocacy is defined by the Church of England as “the act of speaking out against an issue of injustice, often on behalf of those whose voice is not heard.” 

At St Mark's, we believe courageous advocacy is a powerful vehicle for instilling values of justice and responsibility. Every child is supported and empowered to hold the belief that they can become ‘agents of change’ to strive towards a healthier and fairer world. 

These values are deeply embedded through our theologically rooted Christian vision “Let your light shine” In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. This nurtures a sense of belonging and respect both as a unique individual, yet interconnected with the ultimate outcome being the greater good. 

OUR CHILD FRIENDLY DEFINITION

Courageous advocacy means actively standing up for what is right, even when it's difficult or scary. It’s about being brave enough to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and taking action for fairness and justice.

Fairness and justice means giving each person what they deserves in order to be successful.

RE Policy

 St Mark's Primary School - Policies

 Church Involvement 

St Mark's Primary School is located in the Parish of Worle

The Rev Chris Elms is a regular visitor from St Mark's Church

I love our strong links with St Mark's school. It's a very special community with a precious Christian ethos and foundation that plays a key role in helping our children thrive and grow - we're privileged to be a part of it. As a church we value our links and have made the school relationship a strategic priority. I especially like our new school vision statement which quotes Jesus (from Matthew 5:16) and helps our children to be all they have been created to be...

Let your light shine!

The Rev Steve Bennett is a visitor from Weston and Burnham Methodist Circuit

Education is an important strand in the history of the Methodist Church and its current mission, and  I am delighted that being a minister in the Weston-Super-Mare and Burnham-on-Sea Methodist Circuit includes being a Governor of St Mark’s school.

As governors of the school we work alongside staff, and parents to develop and deliver education with a particular focus on Christian ethos whilst delivering high academic achievements, enabling all children to develop to their full potential. 

Our new school vision statement ‘Let your light shine’ weaves its way through all the activities of the school. Children of all abilities are encouraged to be champions of justice and love within our community and in the wider world, giving them the best possible foundation for their lives.

 

The Rev Liz Squires is a regular visitor from Worle Baptist 

 Pupil Involvement 

At St Mark's we encourage our children to take on active roles in our daily acts of worship.  

This might be as:

• as “caretakers” – preparing the hall for worship and clearing up afterwards
• as “technicians” – working the laptop and the CD player
• as “welcomers” – holding open doors, lighting candles, speaking opening sentences, sharing prayers
• as “props” – being called up by adults to take part in a drama,  lead actions to songs etc
• as "leaders"- as a group plan, preparing and deliver acts of worships celebrating key themes/ festivals supported by adults. 

Our School 

As well as being inspected by OFSTED we are also inspected as a church school through the SIAMS framework. Please see our latest SIAMS inspection report which achieved an OUTSTANDING grade.