Collective worship creates a space in our busy school day to nurture our spirituality, gather together and reflect.
It helps us to connect with ourselves, with each other, with our values and with the world around us.
In collective worship children and adults will be responding to the worship on offer in different ways and at different levels; some will be passive observers, learning about worship but not participating in it; some will be “at the threshold”, interested in the process and participating in it but not full believers; for others the act of collective worship may be a time of prayer and connection with God. It is the task of Collective Worship to provide a setting in which the integrity of those present is not compromised but in which everyone finds something positive for themselves.
Some of the reasons why we have a policy of collective worship in our school:
- gives time to be still, to breathe, offering space and quiet to be yourself, and enables time for adults as well as children and young people to reflect, to think;
- helps to foster a spirit of community – whether as a whole school, key stage, year group or class. In this time of being together it is a time of sharing what unites us, while also noticing and celebrating the diversity of beliefs and values in our community and world;
- can enable the joys and sorrows of those present, those local to the school, and the joys and sorrows of national and international news, to be reflected upon and shared in a way which is otherwise not possible in school;
- offers space for spiritual growth, by enriching thinking. It can help pupils reflect on the many ultimate questions they may have and for some it may provide an opportunity to come close to God and to reflect on the most important directions and values for their lives;
Each term, a Christian value is selected and each collective worship is planned to expand on this value and provide opportunities for connection and reflection.
The context for collective worship is different each day, this may include; Whole school collective worship, worship around song, a worship with our parish vicar or other representative and a celebration worship that all parents are invited along to.
We celebrate a range of Christian festivals throughout the year, including Harvest, Christmas and Easter as well as times for reflection such as Remembrance. Our curriculum work and planned RE teaching takes account of other major festivals from different faiths.
We are an inclusive community that values the faiths and beliefs of all.
We regularly work with the church community to support our collective worship and we particularly enjoy ‘Open the Book’ each week where Christian members of our local community come in and share a Bible Story; bringing it to life with actions and props and participation. We also use the local churches for a number of services through our school year and they are special places for us.
Our School Prayer
We offer children the opportunity to pray and reflect at different times throughout the day. Children demonstrate their thanks for the food we eat at lunch time with a prayer said in classrooms before they enter the dinner hall. During class, teachers or children may lead a reflection as part of the discussion or learning moment. When we come together as a school we light our candle and say our school prayer:
