Spirituality
At Headfield, our definition of the spiritual is, 'a search for meaning in life through an awareness of inner feelings, beliefs and experiences.' To be spiritual means to be 'emotionally moved.'
Our provision for spiritual development of pupils includes their:
- ability to be reflective about their own beliefs (religious or otherwise) and perspective on life
- knowledge of, 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.
Prayer
Each class has their own prayer which we use in collective worship to draw us closer to God, think about what we are thankful for and to ask God to help guide us in life.
Awe and wonder of life
We hook our children in to learning with a memorable experience to start each topic.
This could be a visit from Cruella de Vil in our Heroes and Villains topic, dissecting hearts in Blood Heart or a trip into space at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford for Stargazers. This experience sets the scene and provides a context for the learning to come. We ask questions to find out the children's interests and provoke curiosity by using interesting starting points. This encourages imagination, awe and wonder.
We consider big questions about life in collective worship and some questions children have thought of include 'Why hasn't anyone seen God?', 'Are angels real?' and 'Why are some people poor and suffer yet others do not?'
Reflection
Time for reflection is entwined in our school day. This may involve reflecting on a story heard in collective worship or in an RE lesson and what we can learn from it, reflecting on a piece of artwork and considering how it makes us feel or reflecting on friendships following a disagreement and how the lesson can guide us in future.
It is important that children have time in their day to be still and quite and have the chance to think. This can be when we are together in collective worship time, during a lesson or in our Hub, a special place created for when children need a calm space to 'just be'.
The spirit of enquiry
Many lessons offer children the opportunity to be inquisitive and develop their enquiry skills. In science, for example, when carrying out an experiment or during Aspirations Week, learning about the life of a medic and using high-tech medical equipment.
An awareness that life involves moral choices between good and bad
Children at Headfield develop strong moral values on their journey with us. Our families support us on this mission and our children begin life with well rooted respect and consideration for others. Our mentoring team offer outstanding support to children to ensure they learn how to make the best choices, that we are responsible for our own actions and the impact of choices made. We raise pupils self-worth and remind them daily how special they are to their family, everyone at Headfield and God.
An awareness of suffering, pain & loss and the importance of helping others
We open our children's eyes to see life beyond their own. Life for others within our own community and in the wider world can be challenging for many different reasons. We teach children that all of God's people are cherished and we can all play a part in helping others. This can include charitable giving to Batley Food Bank or Children in Need, teaching about Fairtrade as a Fairactive school or the importance of being a friend to others, being there to listen and offer a helping hand in everyday life.
