Ethos & Values

Our Mission: What We Do

We promote an inclusive and happy environment that nurtures potential, develops wisdom, builds integrity and inspires a love of life and learning.

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Psalm 119:105

Our Ethos: What We Stand For

Recognising its historic foundation, St Oswald’s C of E Aided Primary and Nursery School works closely with the Diocese of Durham and St Oswald’s Church to provide a stimulating and high quality education within a caring Christian environment.

We appreciate the uniqueness of every child, whatever their background and individual need, and encourage each child to discover their gifts, their sense of community and their relationship with God. Our values are embedded in everyday school life and daily worship brings the whole school together for times of reflection, exploration and celebration. We enable our children to feel valued, make excellent progress within the curriculum and build a strong foundation for their lives by developing their spirituality, self-belief and sense of citizenship.

St Oswald’s is a Church of England Aided school situated in the historic City of Durham, near the University.  We provide quality education for children aged 3-11 years and aim for high standards of performance and behaviour.  We recognise the right of each child to develop a full range of learning skills irrespective of gender, race or physical ability.  As a Church of England school, we aim to reflect the teaching of the Christian faith in all aspects of school life. Our Voluntary Aided status enables us to strengthen and maintain our Christian ethos.

St. Oswald’s is a small school of six classes: Nursery, Elvet, Dunelm, Neville, Kingsgate and Bailey.  Classes usually consist of a mix of two year groups due to our admission number of 20.  Our nursery class has 26 full-time equivalent places and Sunshine Club has 20 full-time equivalent places.

We regard parents as partners in the learning process of each child and greatly value the support they give to their child’s learning.  Teachers are always willing to discuss progress and concerns with parents.  Appointments can be made to see either the Head Teacher or Class Teacher.

All the staff at St Oswald’s are committed to providing the best possible education and school experience for your child.  To achieve this, the following aims underpin the teaching and learning at this school.

Our Aims: How We Do it

  • Reflect the values and teaching of the Christian faith, affirming cultural diversity and respecting other beliefs.
  • Provide a high quality and stimulating education which is broad, ambitious and designed to meet the needs of each child.
  • Support our children to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to prepare them to succeed in life.
  • Create a safe, supportive and nurturing school community which promotes enjoyment and the pursuit of excellence.
  • Offer rich opportunities for social, moral, spiritual and cultural development.
  • Work in partnership with our families, St Oswald’s Church and the local community for the benefit of all.