SILCHESTER CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Collective Worship
Mission Statement: We aim to provide the highest quality of teaching and learning for all our children. We seek to create a Christian environment that is open, stimulating, safe and caring. We strive to value each individual and encourage attitudes of self-respect, responsibility and tolerance.
DATE ISSUED: September 2006
DATE LAST REVISED: October 2016
DATE OF NEXT REVIEW: October 2018
PURPOSE: Silchester Primary School is a Church of England School and Collective Worship is therefore based on the foundations and principles of the Church of England. This policy helps to ensure that the school provides daily collective worship for the children and adults in line with the legal requirements (School Standards and Framework Act 1998) and in accordance with the school’s trust deed.
SCOPE: The Governing Body has a statutory responsibility to uphold the Christian Foundation of the school and staff are aware of their duty to uphold the Christian ethos of the school. This policy applies to all members of the school community; staff, governors, children, volunteers as well as visitors to the school.
Parents have the right to withdraw their children from acts of worship if they so wish, however it is hoped that parents would discuss it with the headteacher in the first instance.
SIGNATURES:
…………………………………………………….………… (HEAD TEACHER)
………………………………………………………………… (CHAIR OF COMMITTEE)
Ethos Statement
Recognising its historic foundation, the school will preserve and develop its religious character in accordance with the principles of the Church of England and in partnership with the Churches at parish and diocesan level.
The school aims to serve its community by providing an education of the highest quality within the context of Christian belief and practice. It encourages an understanding of the meaning and significance of faith, and promotes Christian values through the experience it offers to all its pupils.
Collective Worship at Silchester provides the opportunity for the school community to reflect and revere, to respond and to wonder and celebrate in the presence of God. Our Collective Worship will pay attention to what has value and meaning in life, both within the school experience and in the world far beyond our walls.
We aim:
· To value the distinctive nature of Church of England traditions and to gain knowledge of Christian values, beliefs, celebrations and patterns of worship.
· To create opportunities that will enable the children to develop as whole people, using body, mind and spirit (including all their senses).
· To create space, which will allow time for reflection and stillness.
· To include elements that will enable the children to explore, express and share, in a secure environment, some of the deeper feelings and experiences that are a part of life, including both the pain and the joy, and to deal sensitively with these.
· To value, respect and celebrate all that is good and lovely in the created world and to express thankfulness for the joy of being alive.
· To develop a sense of community, belonging and sharing and to provide opportunities to celebrate special occasions and achievements.
· To develop social and moral values.
· To develop an awareness of other beliefs, traditions, cultures and patterns of worship. (Although these issues may be raised during Collective Worship, we recognise that the proper place for their fuller exploration is in Religious Education).
How we achieve our aims:
We aim to promote collective acts of worship, which are rich, meaningful experiences that are appropriate and significant to the pupil’s needs, age, development and interest by:
· Creating a sense of occasion and reverence following the 4 central attributes of worship.
· Arranging worship at different places when possible, different times with different people and groupings, involving all members of the school community at some time.
· Planning and linking themes which focus on a particular idea/concept, i.e. the liturgical year; RE curriculum, festivals and celebrations, within Christian and other faith traditions, our Christian values and the SEAL or RRR or other resource programme – celebrating achievements, good work and behaviour.
· Using a wide range of resources, devotional aids, artefacts (from religious and secular sources), music, art, drama and external speakers to engage children’s interest.
· Encourage children to participate and experience different styles of worship, e.g. prayer, praise, silence, rituals, and become familiar with the language of worship, Biblical readings and liturgy.
· Providing opportunities for pupils to reflect, contemplate on their own thoughts, feelings and beliefs.
· Using the centrality of prayer – personal silent prayer, personal shared prayers, collective prayers, writing prayers.
· Providing opportunities that develop pupil’s awareness of what is beautiful, good, wonderful, awesome and puzzling in life experience.
· Involving pupils and members of the wider community to participate in collective worship and activities within the parish.
· Presenting and creating displays that promote and enhance spiritual ideas, thoughts and questions.
Key elements of an act of worship:
· The School will endeavour to fulfil the legal requirements of 1988 Education Reform Act in conjunction with School’s trust deed, by holding ‘an act of collective worship every day’.
·
· During collective worship, whether in the hall, classroom or outside, we will apply the following ‘central attributes’ of worship:
·
· Gathering Making special and significant this part of the day through appropriate symbol and ceremony
· Engaging Using the best available techniques to stimulate interest in the content
· Responding Ensuring there is time and opportunity for individual, group reflection and thought, so those attending can respond in a variety of ways
· and in addition
· Sending Summarising the worship in a meaningful short message used to create an opportunity for those attending to implement the ideas covered and to conclude the worship
Principles
· Collective Worship is an integral part of the broad and balanced curriculum to which all our children are entitled.
· Collective Worship at Silchester School underpins all aspects of school life.
· Collective Worship makes no assumptions about the personal commitment of either staff or pupils.
We aim to create an atmosphere of calmness prior to the start of Collective Worship. Therefore the children will be expected to be quiet from the time they leave their classrooms to attend Whole School Collective Worship. Music will normally be played whilst the children are entering and leaving the hall. In addition there will be a focal point to help centre the children’s thoughts, eg an altar, artefacts, pictures etc.
The majority of acts of Collective Worship will be specifically based on the principles and values of Christianity and will provide an opportunity to worship God. There will be weekly themes for Whole School Collective Worship organised in a 3 year cycle to ensure continuity and progression, will take into account the wide age range of the children and, where possible and appropriate, link in with the curriculum.
Attendance by Staff
Since Collective Worship is regarded as a significant and important part of school life at Silchester and provides an opportunity for the school community to worship as a corporate body all staff are invited to attend acts of Collective Worship with due regard to their professional responsibilities. The teaching staff will be expected to attend all Whole School acts of Collective Worship except under exceptional circumstances. These should be discussed with the person who is leading the Worship.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The member of staff responsible for Collective Worship and the Head Teacher will ensure that records and resources are maintained and monitor content and quality of acts of Collective Worship.
Additional Links with our Church
We endeavour to encourage pupil, staff and parental involvement in Sunday Worship at our Parish Church as often as possible bearing in mind that many have commitments in their own places of worship and that attendance can only be on a voluntary basis. However we aim to encourage more specific involvement in at least three services during the year. These will be determined at the annual planning meeting.
Senior staff will provide support and guidance for the regular weekly input from the representative from St Mary’s Church and from the Churches Together volunteers.
Parental involvement
Parents are actively encouraged to participate in collective acts of worship, church services and celebration worships.