‘Live Life to the Full’

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” 

(John Chapter 10 v 10)


 The Vision of Dacre Braithwaite Church of England Primary School can be summed up in 8 words – ‘That they may have life to the full’. This is our aspiration, inspired by the words of Jesus and the Christian faith, for all who come into contact with our school – the children, their families, our staff and our local community.

Jesus’ words, and our Vision deriving from them, have their context in his sayings about his being ‘The Good Shepherd’ who cares for us - ‘the sheep’ - even laying down his life for the sheep. In John’s Gospel, Chapter 10 verse 10, he contrasts his care with those who might use and manipulate us for their own benefit. Instead, Jesus came that we might have ‘life to the full’. ‘Life to the full’ is therefore understood not as a very busy life full of things we enjoy, but as life lived in accordance with his teaching and example.

However, Jesus’ words have their wider context in the overall story of the Bible and the Christian faith. In very brief summary, this story, as we understand it is as follows:
God created the universe out of love and wants the best for the creation. What is ‘best’ for creation is ultimately to live in loving relationship with the rest of creation, with one another and with the Creator. In this we find the purpose we were created for. In this is ‘life to the full’ as God intended it. In the Old Testament stories, God chose a people to reveal Himself to (the people of Israel) so that through their witness the whole world might know and find its true purpose (to live life to the full). The Law of Moses and the 10 Commandments were given to help. Israel, and humanity in general, failed to live up to this, but God continued to call them back to Himself through the Old Testament prophets. 

In sending Jesus (so that we may have life to the full) God drew close to humanity and addressed and overcame our failures and weaknesses, fulfilled the Law and commandments, brought forgiveness and reconciliation and opened the possibility of living life in close relationship with God and one another (life to the full!)

Jesus achieved all this through what he lived and taught, but mostly through his death and resurrection. The purpose of the community Jesus began, and continues to work in and with and through, through the Holy Spirit, is to carry and live out the Good News of God’s love, forgiveness and reconciliation. The Christian purpose is to take and live out that Good News in the whole world. 

Our school (as a Church school) is part of this.

The purpose of the Church, and by extension part of the purpose of a Church school, is to continue the work of Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us. The work of reconciliation with God and opening the way to life to the full, in accordance with the wisdom and purpose of God in creation. Our links with the local parish churches in the parish of Dacre with Hartwith & Darley with Thornthwaite and other churches (local or otherwise) of differing denominations are therefore important.
We invite all children who come to Dacre Braithwaite to become part of this journey to seek out the ‘life to the full’ that Jesus offers, but children are free to make their own decisions. This is an invitation, not a compulsion (that would not be life to the full!). What we endeavour to do is give the children the intellectual and spiritual ability to make their own decisions in an informed way
At our school, we have a strong Christian vision which reflects the foundation of the school.
This vision is lived out day to day through the practicing of our Christian values. 
Every half term we explore a different Christian value through our acts of collective worship, and each weekly newsletter has a "thought for the week" which is related to that theme. 
To see some of the "thoughts for the week", click on the links below.

Our Christian Values - examples of Thoughts for the Week chosen by the CCWC

Click here to find out more about the Church of England's Faith at Home resources.

What we would like to see at Dacre B

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In addition to this, we follow the principles becoming a good citizen through studying:-
Leadership Skills
Inspirational Leaders
National Community
Global community
as well as completing school based challenges, individual challenges and a community action project.