Collective Worship Policy

St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School

Our Mission –

Preparing children today for a new tomorrow; nurturing their dreams, hopes and aspirations within our Christian values and principles.

Our Vision –

We will be a school which is both caring and nurturing, where everyone feels confident and valued and has the opportunity to experience God’s loving care.

We will have a learning environment where children are encouraged to be respectful, responsible and independent and are given the necessary skills to succeed in life.

We will encourage everyone to ‘go the extra mile’ and only accept their best.

Our Aims –

  • Ensure everyone feels happy, safe and secure
  • Involve all our families and the wider community and Church in the life of our school and the education of its children
  • Promote Christian values within the school community (centredon Collective Worship) and through active links with the wider community and Church.
  • Inspire the whole school community to experience truth,meaning and purpose in lifeand to provide an opportunityto develop a faith by which to live.
  • Support children to develop lively, inquisitive minds with a lifelong love of learning
  • Celebrate everyone and their achievements, encouraging them to always be proud of who they are
  • Provide an engaging, creative and innovative curriculum which is relevant, challenging and also promotes the spiritual and moral development of our children
  • Secure consistently high expectations of behaviour and achievement for all
  • Develop value and respect for all cultures and the wider world beyond our schoolthrough'loving your neighbour as yourself.'
  • Encourage healthy lifestyles (both body and mind)

Organisation:

Collective Worship is organised as follows:

KS2 / KS1
Monday / LN leads / CM leads
Tuesday / LN leads / CM leads
Wednesday / Class worship / Class worship
Thursday / Class worship / Class worship
Friday / Whole school worship – individual class or a special occasion celebration

In addition to acts of worship been delivered by staff and pupils, the vicar (St. Jude’s) , Lisa Horobin (advisory teacher for Collective Worship for BwD) and other members of the community will lead Collective Worship.

Times of worship are to be distinctive and encourage reflection. When held in the hall, an appropriate atmosphere can be created through the use of music during entrance and exit. The giving of notices will be separate from, but may run consecutively with the act of worship.

ALLchildren should participate in the daily act of worship unless the Head teacher has received written request for withdrawal. Any such children are to be accommodated in an appropriate supervised location for the duration of the act. This includes all worship activities such as: Christmas, Eid and other religious celebrations and Golden Class worships.

Worship follows the Christian Values outlined in the Imaginor resource ‘Roots and Fruits’. There are 24 values over a 2 year cycle.

Resources

On a yearly basis, the coordinator will specify priorities for Collective Worship within an action plan. Any cost implications, in order to carry out the specified priorities, will be made within the action plan.

Resources for Collective Worship can be located on ‘shared drive’ within school. Books, story bags etc are located in the AHT office.

All classrooms within school have a Collective Worship/Reflection area. This may include candles, religious symbols, books (relating to value) and anything else that maybe in the religious calendar at that time.

Recording and Reflecting

Parallel class teachers have the responsibility for planning and delivering the acts of worship that take place in class. Year group plans for collective worship can be found on the shared drive.

Reflection is high priority at St. Thomas’ and there is more of a focus upon the reflection of the worship than an evaluation. How the worship has impacted upon those participating is the fundamental purpose to worship at St. Thomas’. Each classroom has a reflection book which the children or adults can reflect upon the worships delivered. This can be done by an individual child after a worship or when anyone feels they would like to reflect upon a value.

Curriculum Links

Collective Worship is closely linked to the PSCHE/JIGSAW. Each half term, planning of collective worship is linked to the Seal topic. There is a new JIGSAW topic every half term. Festivals, saints’ days etc are also interwoven into a whole school overview of Collective Worship. ALL teachers are given a yearly overview at the beginning of the academic year.

This policy document will be reviewed and reaffirmed by the governing body on a regular basis.

Coordinator for Collective Worship – Mr Noon (Assistant Head)

Reviewed: January 1999

October 2002

September 2003

June 2010

August 2011

March 2013

January 2015

September 2016