I came to give life – life in all its fullness.
(John 10:10)
Collective worship is a very important part of each day. It is a special time for pupils to reflect upon their life experiences and to seek out answers to fundamental questions as far as their intellectual and spiritual capacities will allow them. Collective worship at our school endeavours to encourage the development of these spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills and attitudes in our children.
An act of worship is held everyday. Whilst we have a variety of different types of collective worship during the week, our children always enter and leave the hall to music and a candle is lit to help focus our thoughts. Worship could be led by the Head of School, other staff member, or visitors from a range of local churches. Sometimes, children may lead worship, or at least a part of it. In our celebration worship on Friday, we have an opportunity for the individual child to celebrate his or her social and academic achievements, and a time to foster the positive values held at the school, the local community and the wider world.
Worship is specifically Christian and in line with the principles of the Church of England. Major festivals are celebrated. Prayers may be said at other times of the day such as before lunch is eaten.
Although we are a Church of England school, our pupils and their families may have different beliefs. Families might attend a church in the area, or belong to a different faith, or choose to have no faith at all.
Parents do have the right to withdraw their children from collective worship. Before doing so, we encourage parents to talk to us so that any questions or concerns can be discussed to avoid misunderstanding.