"You are the light of the world"
Matthew 5:14
Belonging | Believing | Achieving

Our vision at St Matthew’s through the light of Christ, is to create a place of Belonging, a place of Believing, and a place of Achieving for all our children.  These three core values give the foundation for our community, and are informed by our Christian understanding of koinonia, faith and wisdom.  Our school Christian values align closely with our church’s vision – everyone is welcome and an understanding of community in the heart of the city.  These shared values have been lived and expressed by our church and school since we were established in the mid nineteenth century.

BELONGING – koinonia - the light of belonging in our community
community, compassion, service, peace 
We are a warm, welcoming and inclusive school where children and adults feel a strong sense of belonging.  Everyone is welcome, everyone belongs. 

BELIEVING – faith - the light of faith 
faith, hope, patience
We celebrate the whole of our school community.  Celebrating the contributions of children and families of all religious faiths and those of none.  We believe in a culture of appreciation, respect and understanding.  

ACHIEVING – wisdom - the light of wisdom in our achievements
thankfulness, forgiveness
We are ambitious for every single child to grow in wisdom – academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.  We value achievement across the curriculum and encourage children’s individual talents and strengths. 

 Our school vision is based on the verse in Matthew’s Gospel.  The full bible verse is:

Matthew 5:13-16
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its taste, it cannot be made salty again. Salt is useless if it loses its salty taste. It will be thrown out where people will just walk on it.
You are the light that shines for the world to see. You are like a city built on a hill that cannot be hidden. People don’t hide a lamp under a bowl. They put it on a lampstand. Then the light shines for everyone in the house. In the same way, you should be a light for other people. Live so that they will see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.