Collective Worship
The aims and purpose of collective worship are:
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to provide an opportunity for the children to worship God;
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to enable children to consider spiritual and moral issues;
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to enable children to explore their own beliefs;
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to encourage participation and response;
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to develop in children a sense of community spirit;
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to promote a common ethos with shared values and to reinforce positive attitudes;
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to teach children how to worship.
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to be reflective and respectful of all religions of the schools' Faith community.
We understand worship to be a special act or occasion whose purpose is to show reverence to God.
Collective worship involves all members of the school coming together and participating in an assembly. We expect everyone to take an active part in the assembly.
In line with the 1988 Education Reform Act, which states that collective worship should be ‘wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’, we base our collective worship on the teachings of Christ and traditions of the Christian Church. However, we conduct them in a manner that is sensitive to the individual faith and beliefs of all members of the school. Christian Themes are always linked to the major faith group of the school community, Islam. We are also sensitive to a very small minority of other faiths representative in school.
While the majority of acts of worship in our school are Christian, we also hold collective worships that reflect other religious traditions that are represented in the school, wider and world community.
Our pupils are extremely keen to help plan and deliver collective worship, deciding upon themes that are relevant to the community, faith or current issues. Music is also a cognitive part of collective worship.
I Wonder....
In class, children have the opportunity to develop their sense of spirituality in a smaller group setting in our 'I wonder....' sessions. Pupils contribute their ideas and opinions in their own familiar environment while considering a discussion point put to them.
I light the candle and dim the lights and have soft music playing when the children enter the room.
These are some of the themes we have considered this year:
I wonder, what would help the entire world the most right now?
I wonder, what is love?
I wonder, what would it be like to see the world through a dog’s eyes? Does Zen think like a human does? What does she think when she’s working in school? (Zen is our school guide dog)
I wonder, who gains the most, the Advent Angel or the reciever?
I Wonder has engaged the children to discuss topics that they may have never discussed before. It has helped children to learn to be respectful even when they have different opinions. Quieter children have also gained confidence and have been willing to share their ideas during the carpet session.
