Our Church Foundation, Values & Ethos

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Lythe school is one of the family of Church Schools in the York Diocese and we are proud of our church foundation. We are not a "faith school for the faithful;" we welcome families of all faiths or none and help all members of our community to live life in all its fullness through our commitment to gospel values.

We aim to serve our community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice and encourage understanding of the meaning and significance of faith.

We value our links with our parish and, during non-Covid times, enjoy taking part in services at St Oswald's Church throughout the year. Reverend Malcolmis a regular visitor to school and helps children understand the significance of different aspects of worship, including offering confirmation preparation to all interested families. We make visits to York Minster, and have welcomed our Archbishop John Sentamu to our Collective Worship.

"Learning in Religious Education is very strong, clearly reflecting the Christian ethos of the school. Pupils have good opportunities to extend their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through this and the collective worship programme."

Collective Worship

Collective Worship plays a central role in our school's life. It's the time of day when our whole school community is invited to come together in friendship in order to join in with worship and share joys, achievements and ideals as well as disappointments and sorrows. Collective Worship is conducted in a dignified and respectful way which encourages children to be reflective and provides a peaceful time away from the hustle and bustle of the school day which is appreciated by children and staff alike. Worship may be led by staff, visitors or the children themselves, and our Collective Worship team takes great pride in choosing themes and preparing resources. 

Parents who do not wish their child to attend Collective Worship are asked to make their wishes known in writing to the Head Teacher.

For the year 2021-22 we are following the Diocese of York's resource: Journey through the Bible.  This takes us through the Old and New Testaments in chronological order to help children build a coherent picture of how the story unfolds, while thinking about key themes: 

• Creation and covenant

• Exodus and Promised Land

• Judges and Kings

• Exile and Prophets

• Jesus and the Gospels

• Acts and the Church