Collective worship in community schools is grounded in the historical past and enshrined in educational law to be ‘wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’. In Church schools the requirement instead to reflect the Anglican status of the school as expressed in its trust deed liberates those leading collective worship to build on the rich, lived diversity of Anglican tradition and identity. In the same way as worship in churches is aspirational, constantly evolving and being re-imagined there is an expectation of a continuous, dynamic reimagining of what collective worship means in the Church school.

We aspire to provide a daily act of collective worship that is inclusive, invitational and inspiring, and meets the expectations of the Guidance Document:

‘We want pupils to leave school with a rich experience and understanding of Christianity, and we are committed to offering them an encounter with Jesus Christ and with Christian faith and practice in a way that enhances their lives...Collective worship in schools, including prayer, reading and reflecting on the Bible, liturgy, sacrament and experience of the musical and other imaginative riches of Christianity, provide a vital opportunity for this.’

We aim to:

• Explore the school’s vision and how that underpins shared values and virtues. In doing so, it will reflect on moral values such as compassion, gratitude, justice, humility, forgiveness and reconciliation; and develop virtues such as resilience, determination and creativity that develop character and contribute to academic progress.
• Help pupils and adults to appreciate the relevance of faith in today’s world by encountering the teachings of Jesus and the Bible and developing understanding of the Christian belief in the trinitarian nature of God.
• Offer the opportunity, without compulsion, to all pupils and adults to grow spiritually through experiences of prayer, stillness, worship and reflection.
• Enable all pupils and adults to appreciate that Christians worship in different ways, for example using music, silence, story, prayer, reflection, as well as through the varied liturgical and other traditions of Anglican worship, festivals and, where appropriate, the Eucharist.
• Enable pupils to develop skills through engaging in the planning, leading and evaluation of collective worship in ways that lead to improving practice.

Detailed, half-termly plans are uploaded to our website. Parents and carers are welcome to join us for worship at church on Monday.

Worship leaders, including clergy, have access to regular training, primarily through local diocesan education teams.

Pupil worship leaders are supported, encouraged and resourced to contribute meaningful acts of worship.

Worship leaders, including clergy, have access to high quality and current resources.

The governing body has robust systems in place to monitor the impact of worship effectively; this monitoring includes and meaningfully involves pupil voice. Those facilitating worship have the opportunity to receive feedback and hear the outcome of evaluation.

Those from outside agencies and church groups invited into the school to facilitate worship are trained and properly briefed about the school, its pupil context and the school’s vision. They are supported and monitored as part of the school’s systems for the evaluation of the impact of worship.

There is a named member of staff responsible for collective worship with responsibility for ensuring that appropriate policy and practice are in place and publicly available.

Parents and carers have the right to withdraw their child from the daily act of collective worship. They might exercise this right by speaking with the headteacher.