Church & Worship
Please scroll down for:
- Our Christian Ethos
- A Christian School
- Collective Worship
- Worship Diary
- Reflection Rangers
- Policies
- Prayer Groups
Our Christian Ethos
We work closely with our local and associated church, St Thomas a Becket as well as with our local community. We value the contribution that everyone makes to school
life, placing importance on the welfare of individuals. It is our aim that at the end of our pupils’ time at Northaw Church of England School they will have developed a sense of achievement and self-esteem as a result of their experiences here
and will leave us for their secondary school, happy, effective learners, with a positive attitude to life long learning.
We have an Ethos group who are representatives of the Governing Body and school staff. For more information please click here.
For our RE policy please click here.
A Christian school
The school’s aims form its objectives both in relationships and through the curriculum. Whilst we have a Christian foundation, our school is not merely a school for Christians and we welcome children from other religious denominations, faiths and world views.
We are proud of our strong links to St Thomas a Becket Church and with our Vicar Reverend Christopher Kilgour, who spends much time working with the Head Teacher, the teachers and the children of our school and who is a member of our Governing Body. In the context of this, all children will receive teaching in Religious Education which, whilst having a multi-cultural element, which will be based on the beliefs of the Church of England.
Theology and philosophy are explored through a range of faiths and worldviews. We build on our understanding and interpretations as we grow and learn throughout the school and the children learn through an enquiry based approach using 'ultimate questions' and philosophical debate as a foundation.
Collective worship
Worship in our school is inspirational and uplifting with carefully planned themes based firmly on the Bible and Christian values. Revd. Kilgour, the Head Teacher and all staff are keen to ensure pupils have a meaningful experience where God, Jesus and the Trinitarian nature of Christianity is at the heart of worship. Prayer and reflection are central to the experience of our collective worships and in addition pupils are offered a deeper and more personal experience in class through teaching, discussion and further reflection. Consequently, our pupils talk articulately, confidently and enthusiastically about their beliefs and ideas about faith.
For our Collective Worship policy please click here.
Worship diary
14th January 2022
Dear Father God
Please help us to be strong and courageous.
Help us to speak out for others.
Help us to stand up and be counted.
Help us to do the right thing, not just the easy thing.
Amen
17th December 2021
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6
Father, we thank you for Christmas. Thank you that you sent your only Son to save us. May we share the compassion you have shown us, in acts of kindness, not only to our friends but to strangers and those in need. May your love shine through us.
Amen
10th December 2021
Father God
Jesus came to show us what it truly means to love one another. May we take up this challenge through our words and actions. Thank you for everyone who loves us and for that great feeling in our hearts when we know we are loved.
Amen
26th November 2021
Lord Jesus,
During your life on earth you showed compassion and kind-ness to so many people who were suffering and unhappy.
Thank you for the people who have shown compassion and kindness to us and given us the courage to keep going even when times were tough.
Remind us, when we put on our school uniform, to put on the attitudes of compassion and kindness in all that we do.
Amen
19th November 2021
Dear Lord
Thank you for the opportunity for us to show compassion by sup-porting Children in Need and SightSavers. Thank you that in dark and difficult times, your light can be seen shining in the acts of hope that these charities give.
May we always be compassionate in our daily lives. Help us to con-sider the needs of others by putting love and mercy above per-sonal gain. May we follow Christ’s example all our days.
Amen
5th October 2021
Heavenly Father,
Teach us to be compassion-ate. Shine a light for us to see where we can show kindness, love and forgiveness.
In your Holy name
Amen
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." — Ephesians 4:32.
22nd October 2021
Dear God,
We know we can please you by being charitable voluntarily, but we also know this produces goodwill among our fellow humans and can create a society of benevolence and compassion. So help us to commit to acts of generosity that will endure and have long lasting effects in our world.
Amen
15th October 2021
Heavenly Father,
As we move through Autumn to-wards Winter, help us to be generous in our care for all living things. Please show us how we can protect the wildlife in our neighbour-hood, may we be careful to pro-vide shelter, food and a safe environment for all nature to survive and thrive.
Open our eyes to the needs of other people, whether it be practical help with food, transport and errands, or emotional support for the elderly, lonely or vulnerable.
May generosity become second nature to us, defining who we are and how we live.
Amen
8th October 2021
Father God,
At this Harvest time may we share all the good gifts you have given us. In the Bible we are reminded to give 'first fruits' not just what we have spare or left over. Please encourage us to think about how we can give generously to others regardless of the cost to our-selves.
Open our eyes to see where there is a need and help us to act with generous hearts.
In your mercy.
Amen
Proverbs 3. V9-10
1st October 2021
Thank you Father that you loved the world so much, you sent your only Son to save us. Such sacrifice comes from your redeem-ing love and your eternal generosity. Please give us hearts of gratitude for all you do for us and all you share with us.
Amen
Bible verse: John 3. 16
24th September 2021
We started the week with Reverend Chris visiting to lead collective worship. The focus was on generosity and how God generously created the world. It was very thought provoking to watch a visual representation of how the world was creating, along with a very catchy song about ’God made everything’.
Heavenly Father
Thank you for the beautiful world you made for us. Thank you for all the living creatures, the seasons, the colours all perfectly made by your loving hands.
Forgive us for neglecting our duty in caring for this planet. Help us to make amends by working hard on repairing the damage we have done. Equip us with the skills and determination to cleanse the oceans and heal the wounds in the forests.
May we show generosity to all nations on whom climate change is having a direct impact. May we share the responsibility of saving and restoring our world.
Amen
17th September 2021
Dear Father
As we consider what it means to be generous help us to be like the Good Samaritan. Make us ready to help all other people, not just our friends. Open our eyes and show us where there is a need. Bless us with a generous heart to share kindness, friendship and com-passion in our school community, whether it be amongst the children in class, the parents at the school gate or the staff. May we serve you in our acts of generosity.
Amen
The Parable of the Good Samaritan. Luke 10:25-37
10th September 2021
Our current collective worship theme is Generosity which will be the focus throughout the Autumn 1 half term. As part of this, we would like to create a photo montage of what generosity means. We would ask pupils to bring in a photograph to capture the essence of this value. Use your imaginations and let’s see how many examples we can find.
Father God,
Thank you that you are a generous God. Help us to share all the gifts you have given us. When others are lonely, help us to be generous with our time. When others are in need, help us to be generous with our resources. When others are sad help us to be generous with our compassion.
Strengthen us Lord, that we might serve you in your abundant love for us.
Amen
Click here for historic worship diaries pre July 2021
Reflection Rangers
Spring 2020
In Northaw C of E primary school, our Reflection Rangers work hard to teach us important lessons from the Holy Bible. On the 23rd January, the Reflection Rangers did a story called the Tempter. The whole school really enjoyed it because the acting they did was brilliantly presented. I would give the quality of the Reflection Rangers in our school a definite five stars!
Autumn 2019
Each week the Reflection Rangers meet up to discuss about how to deliver worship. We do it to teach the younger children about Jesus and what the Bible says about him. Our assemblies are all about our Christian value and sometimes the 6Rs. This term we did the Rainbow Fish. The story represents generosity. We also choose a song to sing for assembly for example: Thank your lucky stars, Harvest samba and Shine Jesus Shine. We choose prayers from the prayer tree that children have written themselves. Sometimes, we need volunteers. We always pick different people so it is fair. We do quizzes. Once we told a story to see who was listening and for fun. We also help church services like Harvest Festival, Christmas and spring. By Miley. H, Martha. P and Grace. T
Summer 2019
Reflection Rangers this term taught us how we should look after our world. They connected this to the Bible text in Matthew chapter 6 about Jesus using the natural world to illustrate his stories. Everyone sang, Don't Build your house on the Sandy Land and the Rangers connected the worship to the value of 'responsibility' which is one of our 6Rs.
It was good worship because the lady from Save the Children Fund talked about how children in other countries do not have the resources that we have and that we should be thankful.
Policies
Prayer Groups
Parents Prayer
Parents Prayer is a small group of Christian parents and carers who support the school by praying together. We believe that God cares for all children, and loves us to bring our cares for our children and everyone at our school to him in prayer. There are post-boxes in the school hall and the front lobby, to enable children, parents and anyone else connected with the school to ask us to support them by praying in specific ways.
Twice a term, all parents, carers and small siblings are welcomed to a local parent's house for drinks, snacks, chat and some time praying. We would love to see you there! Please contact the school for dates and other details.
Prayer Groups in school
Click here to learn about our prayer corners and reflection areas
Click here to learn about how we introduced Prayer Bear in order to encourage our children to involve their families as part of our school community.
