Welcome

Sutton Benger School is a small, friendly Church of England primary school nestled at the heart of the village, which is just north-east of the market town of Chippenham.

We have around 170 children aged from 4 to 11, who are taught in 6 classes.  We are extremely proud of all that goes on here and the children at Sutton Benger are supported in their learning by enthusiastic and dedicated staff, Academy Councillors, parents/carers and the wider community.

How our School has grown...

In February 2012, Wiltshire explorer David Hempleman-Adams officially opened the extended space at Sutton Benger School, which provides us with a spacious library, inclusive spaces and improved disabled access.

We also have a large hall used for everything including Collective Worship, drama productions, sports activities and not to mention the amazing school meals cooked on site at our school. Our spacious grounds include a playing field, fitness trail, a 'peace' garden and a pond.

In Summer 2015, we continued to expand our space, with the addition of our extra classroom. Then, in April 2018 we completed the extension to another classroom to give us more space for the children. We also put in new access to the playground and extended the main toilets.

Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust (DBAT)

In 2019 the school converted to become an Academy and is now part of DBAT (The Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust). For more information about DBAT, please refer to their website: https://www.dbat.org.uk/

Statutory information about DBAT, including Financial Statements, Annual Reports, Articles of Association, Funding Agreements and the Scheme of Delegation can be found here: https://www.dbat.org.uk/about-us/statutory-information/

Information about DBAT Directors can be found here: https://www.dbat.org.uk/about-us/directors/

Vision

Our School Vision

A school vision is our beliefs, values and hopes for the children in our school. Our vision has been carefully developed - this is our story...

Who are we?

We began by thinking about who we were as a community. Research into Sutton Benger showed that in the past we have been a heavily farming community, providing produce to the local town of Chippenham and the surrounding villages, as well as Sutton Benger itself. As a community, this has evolved over time. Today, farming is still a part of the village, but in a very different way. In addition, the village has grown and developed – families have moved on, new families have joined, houses have been built and old buildings have disappeared. The school itself has moved sites from the old school house near the church to our present building, which has also changed over the years. We are a village of old and new. A village that is forever growing and changing.

Why are we here? What is our purpose as a school?

As a school why are we here? We talked to the children and we decided that our school:

• is a loving community that respects, cares and cherishes every person;
• has a full and exciting curriculum, with opportunities that encourage children to develop a love of learning;
• develops values that will help us grow as individuals and as a community;
• helps our children to grow and shine, to be the best they can be.

Thinking about who we are and why we are here, we developed the following vision for our school…

TOGETHER WE LEARN, GROW AND FLOURISH

The Green Man

All of the children have visited our village church to see ‘The Green Man’, a really unique and special part of our church. It is said to be Medieval but there is some thought that the head was re-worked in Victorian times. It has an expressive face surrounded by hawthorn leaves, which sprout from his mouth. A very unusual feature is the four birds, which peck at the hawthorn berries. Its meaning is a bit of a mystery but it is considered a symbol of nature, growth and change. We felt that the Green Man image reflected our village and our new vision – the village and our children are forever changing, growing and flourishing. We also use ‘The Green Man’ to remind us to take care of the environment, God’s creation, something that is reflected in our school curriculum.

Our school values

Our school values are developed in our worship and encouraged and developed in our school life. Our values are: forgiveness, respect, perseverance, integrity, responsibility and compassion. Thinking more about our vision, we consider our values as seeds that grow in our children. The more seeds we plant, the more our children will grow and flourish. As the Bible says:

“Remember this – a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

…and finally…

We asked the children to design a symbol for our new school vision. Here it is! As you enter our school, you can also admire the mural created by the children of this symbol.