Spirituality

‘understanding something about myself and the world and making connections with them both’

Everyone is in some sense a spiritual being. Spirituality is part of our church school ethos as it reflects the Christian belief that God made people in his image and that we all share in His purposes to bring life and allow His creation to flourish. This is part of creating an ethos that is both distinctive and inclusive. Spirituality is not just developed through RE, it is a focus across the curriculum and full school life.

Some of the characteristics of a spiritually developing person are: hopeful, reflective, forgiving, loving, truthful, peaceful, joyful, being able to show empathy, curiosity, a sense of belonging, creativity awe and wonder. These qualities are developed in all parts of the curriculum and school life. 

Through our Collective Worship, our learning and school activities, we help children to recognise their value and place in God's world.

As a church school we seek to develop the following in pupils:

1. A sense of self worth reflecting the Christian belief that all are created in the image of God.
2. A sense of being in relationship with others and a sense of community
3. Involvement with others in the wider world and an appreciation of diversity and difference
4. A response to a distinctive church school ethos and knowledge of the Christian faith as a way of understanding meaning and purpose in life.
5. An ability to reflect on experiences of awe, compassion, beauty etc.
6. An ability to realise that difficult experiences can be times of growth (e.g. death of a pupil or member of staff)
7. A willingness to explore Christian beliefs and values as a way of countering the negative forces in human experience
8. An ability to explore ultimate questions and mysteries in life

We provide opportunities for children to develop the following spiritual capacities.

1. be guided by their beliefs and values and be willing to take a stand to defend them
2. be self-aware and empathise with the experience of others in the school and wider community 
3. love themselves, care for themselves, believe in their potential to achieve, and find inner strength and resilience when facing challenges 
4. exercise imagination and creativity, appreciate beauty in the world and be alive to experiences of awe and wonder
5. be intrigued by mystery and be open to an awareness of the transcendent in the whole of life
6. be comfortable with stillness and silence and open to engage in reflection/meditation/prayer
7. be ready to say sorry when mistakes are made, to forgive themselves and to forgive others 
8. be willing to take risks and to reflect, learn and grow following experiences of failure as well as success
9. demonstrate curiosity and open mindedness when exploring life’s big questions
10. appreciate and be thankful for what is good in life and show generosity towards others

Please read our Spirituality Policy for more information.