Return to Our School

Church School

The Church of England makes a major contribution to the education system of the country through a significant number of schools. Voluntary Aided church schools are very much a part of the state system and Bishop Wood is funded by Herts County Council.

Church schools such as ours meet the same criteria as other schools. They must:

  • comply with the statutory Admissions Code
  • follow the National Curriculum
  • participate in National Curriculum tests and assessments
  • be inspected by Ofsted
  • have fully qualified teaching staff
  • be run by a governing body composed according to the stakeholder model
  • promote community cohesion

In VA Church schools the governors employ the staff, are responsible for the admissions to the school and determine the content of the religious education curriculum.  Daily worship follows the Anglican tradition of school worship and is one of the key activities contributing to the sense of community and strong Christian ethos that is a feature of this school.  The governing body includes governors nominated by our church and the LEA, and others elected by the parents and staff.  The governors nominated by the church are always in the majority.  The land on which the buildings and the hard play area is situated belongs to St Alban’s Diocese.  The ground are owned by Hertfordshire County Council although the school still has to budget for their upkeep.  The governors have to find the money for payment of additional insurance such as Public Liability but they can use the delegated school budget for this purpose. However, the major financial implication of Bishop Wood being a Voluntary Aided school is that governors have to find 10% of the cost of all major building work.  The local church, St Peter and St Paul’s, which is part of the Tring Team Parish, gives the school an annual grant of £1000 to help, however the governing body still need additional funds for improvement works.

As a Church of England school, every 5 years we are subject to a ‘SIAMS’ inspection – this is separate to an OFSTED inspection.  SIAMS stands for Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools.

Collective Worship

At Bishop Wood School we have collective worship each day.  The Christian value that we celebrate changes every few weeks and the hymn that we sing changes each week. Click the link to see details of the themes we are following this term.

On Fridays we have individual class worship held in the classrooms.  During the Spring term and on other special occasions we have Class Assemblies on a Friday to which parents are invited.

Hymn Practice for the whole school takes place on Friday afternoons.

School Creed & Hymn

The Bishop Wood School Creed was written by the children of the Worship Group during the Autumn term of 2019.

We believe it’s important to be friendly and kind to one another, respecting each other’s views, choices and beliefs, even when they are different from our own.

We encourage the freedom of all people to follow their dreams and we support each other to achieve these.

When we are faced with challenges, we aim to make wise decisions and learn from our experiences.  We do not judge and we see our mistakes as proof that we are trying.

Together we will take care of the world God created and have the courage to stand up against injustice when we see it.  We walk together on our spiritual journeys, with dignity, hope and love.

 

The Bishop Wood School Hymn was written by Rev John Payne-Cook at the end of his ministry in Tring before going to the West Indies.

Bishop Wood School helps us all to learn
Spirit, mind, body will all take their turn
We learn how to write, we learn how to read
We learn how to count and use numbers at speed.

So let us give thanks to our Father above
Open our hearts to the gift of his love
Pray for the children, pray for the staff
That God’s Holy Spirit will lighten our path

School is a place where everyone shares
Good things and bad and learns how to care
We all grow together in work and in fun
And no one is left to be all on their own

Find time for peace, let wisdom grow
As we get older let everyone know
That God is forgiving and makes us all strong
And pours out his blessings all day long