Let Your Light Shine

During the Sermon on the Mount, found in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus addresses a crowd and reveals eight blessings (known as The Beatitudes). He then goes on to talk to the crowd about salt and light. Jesus explains:

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. ¹⁵ No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Matthew 5:14-16

As a Christian school family, we seek to follow the example of Jesus in all that we do. We believe that the Sermon on the Mount is a vital chapter in scripture, teaching us to let the light of Jesus shine through us.  We take great encouragement from the words "you are the light of the world"; this reveals to us that Jesus, who himself tells us "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12), is within all of us. We are all God's children and are called to "give glory" to our Father in heaven through our "good works". This reminds us of the importance of our actions. Our actions allow us to let our light shine. Our actions allow us to share the light of Jesus with those around us.

We want our school and church to be beacons that shine far and wide, lighting up our region with the light of Jesus through our work, rest and play. 

By learning about Christian values, by listening to the teachings of Jesus, and by following the example of Jesus, we say to every member of our community: let your light shine!

Being the best we can be, for ourselves and others

At St Oswald's CE Primary School, we believe that every child and adult can shine and that this can be for the benefit of all. We recognise that we are all special in God’s eyes and have unique talents, which we nurture so that each of us has the opportunity to become the very best person that God intended us to be. We want to see everyone being inspired and growing in wisdom, knowledge and dignity. We want to see children flourishing and excelling in everything that they do through providing rich experiences which give everyone the opportunity to achieve more than they ever thought possible.  We do not want the brilliant things that we do and learn to be hidden. We want to encourage our children to aspire to great things and for the light of their lives to shine and make a difference in their classrooms, throughout the school and when they return home and into their community. As we all demonstrate our Christian values of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,  in a supportive atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, our hope is that light will shine from St Oswald's in many ways, every day - for the benefit of all and for the glory of God.

Valuing ourselves

We believe that developing a sense of self-worth is of paramount importance. When he was on earth, Jesus once said: ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12). However, as he spoke to those around him during the Sermon on the Mount, he also used these words: ‘You are the light of the world’. In addition to letting their light shine on others, we want our children to recognise the value of their own light: to be proud of their personal achievements; to value and respect themselves; and to know how loved they are both by God and by others. We aim to develop a Growth Mindset so that the members of our school are able to face the future with hope and aspiration and embrace all that life has to offer.

The words of the Sermon on the Mount remind us that a light should not be put under a bowl – it should give light to everyone, including oneself. In possession of God’s light and His love, it is possible for us all to show something of his light in our families, in our school, in our community and throughout the world.