Collective Worship

Welcome to our Collective Worship page!

 

 

 

At St. Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Christian Values permeate everything we do. Our values are taken directly from the teachings of the Bible and every term, we focus on one specific Christian Value.

Our Christian Values are: Creativity, Peace, Trust, Compassion, Justice, Hope, Courage, Thankfulness, Truthfulness, Forgiveness, Humility, Friendship, Generosity, Respect & Reverence, Wisdom, Perseverance, Service, Responsibility.

This term, our Christian Value is: Perseverance

Over the next six weeks, we shall be exploring Perseverance in class, Key Stage and whole school collective worship sessions. We should like to invite you, our parents and carers, to share this value with your children.

 

 

Spirituality at St. Andrew’s CE Primary School

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

 

What is Spirituality?

Having a spiritual dimension can mean finding a sense of inner peace - both peace of mind and peace in our hearts.

Spirituality is the search for and expression of that which is greater than ourselves.

Our spirituality shapes our relationship with ourselves, with other people, our connection with the natural world and with whatever we conceive to be a transcendent or higher power.

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A Christian Perspective

In the Bible the term for spirit comes from the Hebrew ruach, which had a range of meanings: spirit; breath; wind; life-giving. The Latin root spiritus also means breath. In all these meanings there is a sense of animation and vibrancy; a sense of movement or quest for a fulfilled life.

For Christians, this encompasses the whole being - mind, body and spirit.

Christians believe in a God who is creator and sustainer. This means that spirituality can be found through creation and the natural world, as one admires the splendour of His handiwork. In the Book of Genesis it says that humanity has been made in God’s image - Genesis 1:26, therefore we are all spiritual beings.

The Bible symbolises spiritual development in many ways. These include ‘the journey’, such as the Israelites journey through the wilderness for 40 years before arriving in the promised land; or the Christian faith likened to a hard race, with a reward at the end - 2 Tim. 4:7; Hebrews 12:1-2.

Another common metaphor is moving from darkness to light. Jesus is the light of the world who overcomes darkness - John 8:12.

There is a sense in these symbols that personal belief grows and develops; children’s natural sense of curiosity with the world around them and how to make sense of it should therefore be nurtured.

For Anglicans spirituality centres on people worshipping together, through singing songs and hymns; prayers and Bible readings; responses to the liturgy and through sacraments such as communion. This means that collective worship in church schools is the life giving thread weaving through all aspects of the community.

(Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural Development: A Christian Perspective – Diocese of Norwich 2015)

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What does Ofsted mean by Spiritual Development?

Pupils’ spiritual development is shown by their: 

• ability to be reflective about their own beliefs, religious or otherwise, that inform their perspective on life and their interest in and respect for different people’s faiths, feelings and values
• sense of enjoyment and fascination in learning about themselves, others and the world around them
• use of imagination and creativity in their learning
• willingness to reflect on their experiences

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Below, you will find some ideas about this term’s Christian Value. We hope your family will find them helpful as you talk about the value and have fun together.

Collective Worship

What is Collective Worship?

Collective Worship is central to the life of our school.  Worship offers the children and adults in our school an opportunity to reflect on values and issues in the context of our Christian ethos. It reflects our mission statement and shapes our approach to others and to what we do in school.

We have a daily act of worship:

• Monday – Class led worship
• Tuesday – Key Stage led worship
• Wednesday – Ministry team led worship for the whole school
• Thursday – Class led worship
• Friday – Whole school worship led by the Headteacher

During worship, our children have an opportunity to reflect upon the current Christian Value.

On Wednesdays, the Clergy team, led by Reverend Jacky Barr, share the stories of the Bible through ‘Open the Book’.

In the Spring term, children invite their parents and carers to join them in their class worship.

‘Thought for the Day’ is not a ‘performance’ but an opportunity for children to prepare and lead an act of worship in which parents and carers can share. This is what some of our parents have said about ‘Thought for the Day’:

‘A very interesting, thought-provoking act of worship’.

‘A very moving assembly and a powerful way of conveying this term’s Christian value’.

Look out for your invitation in the spring term!

Values