www.thelaat.co.uk

Journeying together with hope and aspiration

At Parish, we value each person as they are, seeing every member of our school family as a precious, unique individual and treating them with dignity. Seeking first to understand through the building of relationships, we live in a community of hope. We aspire to enable each person to be a curious learner, inspired to develop the knowledge and wisdom to make the world a better place. We strive to encourage all to fulfil their God-given potential, having a confidence in transformation for the better.

	‘I am fearfully and wonderfully made.’   Psalm 139:14 NIV
	Treat others as you want them to treat you.’  Luke 6:31 TLB
	‘For I know the plans I have for you’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’   Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
	‘See, I am doing a new thing!’   Isaiah 43:19 NIV

As a Church of England school, we strive to achieve excellence within a Christian context, based on the firm foundations of shared Christian values. Our ‘Core Four’ values interweave with our school vision to reflect who we are. They are Dignity, Community, Hope and Wisdom.

Our inspiring and relevant curriculum based around the ‘Core Four’ encourages independent learning skills which prepare the children for life in the 21st century. The staff here at Parish work tirelessly to ensure our school’s curriculum and pastoral care unlocks potential and provides pupils, families and staff with the necessary skills they will need to succeed. Progress for all pupils is relentlessly pursued. In addition to the rigorous pursuit of significant achievements across the curriculum, children are encouraged to develop their skills and talents in art, music and sport, and their awareness of equality, fairness and a sense of belonging.

The school takes great pride in working at the very heart of the community and welcoming everyone who steps through the doors here at Parish.

If you would like to come and visit, please contact the school office on 01427 612554 or email enquiries@gainsborough.laat.co.uk

 

 

Linking Our Vision to the Pilgrims of Gainsborough

Our school motto paints a picture of life being a journey.  In Gainsborough, we have special connections to the journey story of the Mayflower Pilgrims.  This connection gives us inspiration and helps us to articulate our Christian vision.  The story helps us to think more deeply about who we are, why we are here and how we live.  

The Mayflower story is significant to this region because it carried a group of leading Protestant Separatists and their families to America, many of whom came from Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire. These Christians felt oppressed in their time and place and did not feel treated with dignity, respect and justice.  Through studying the wisdom of the Scriptures, they sought to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.  They understood themselves to be reforming or purifying their faith and considered themselves a beacon of hope for fellow Christians (Matthew 5:14).  They first fled to Holland, before later deciding to sail to America to establish one of the earliest colonies there, and take control of their own religious practices. 

It was in our region of England that these people formed their ideas and plans for new lives – deciding to separate from the established Church to form their own at a time when this was illegal. 

A group of Protestant Separatists were thought to have worshiped secretly at Gainsborough Old Hall, just a stone’s throw away from our school, with the permission of its sympathetic owner, merchant William Hickman. 

Their preacher, John Smyth, was a strong influence on the Mayflower Pilgrims, and is generally considered to have later been a founder of the Baptist churches.  

Let’s use our core four to see how the story of the Pilgrims links to our church school vision. 

Community- The Pilgrims separated from the established Church to form their own special community together.  

Dignity- The Pilgrims had their own plans and ideas- they created their own community where they could live together the way they wanted to.  

Wisdom- The Pilgrims did a new thing- they separated and moved to a place of religious freedom.  

Hope- The Pilgrims worshiped secretly because they were not allowed to openly profess their beliefs.  They took steps to bring about the future they wanted.