The ethos of the school, encompassing all that we stand for, is reflected in and expressed through Collective Worship; it derives from the Christian tradition and seeks to activate our beliefs and values which are set out, clearly, in the School Prospectus. Kingsclere C of E Primary School is a Voluntary Controlled Church of England School therefore worship is an important part of the school day as it gives us the opportunity to come together as a school community, to pray together and deepen our appreciation and worship of God.
As a Church of England School, the school is committed to fostering the development of the whole person within the context of a caring community based on Christian values. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is a vital element in that development. As a maintained school, the school provides a daily act of Collective Worship for all pupils of a mainly Christian character.
The objectives of Collective Worship are to:
- Affirm the Christian faith and the Christian belief in Jesus as Son of God.
- Introduce pupils to the practice of religious worship through music, art, story, poetry, movement and prayer.
- Create a warm, caring and respectful atmosphere, conducive to worship (this includes the manner of entry and exit.)
- Encourage, in children, a thoughtful and reflective attitude.
- Help pupils experience a sense of awe, wonder, reverence and inner stillness.
- Enable pupils to use silence for reflection and contemplation.
- Raise pupil’s curiosity about the ultimate mysteries of life.
- Enable pupils to learn about and consider Christian teaching, Christian festivals and Biblical material.
- Help pupils appreciate that we are ‘stewards’ of God’s world.
- Enable pupils to reflect upon their own beliefs in relation to those of others.
- Enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
- Help children distinguish between right and wrong.
- Affirm pupils’ personal worth and responsibility.
- Celebrate individual and collective achievements.
- Develop a sense of belonging to the school as a family.
- Celebrate religious festivals and special occasions.
- Affirm the Golden Rules of the school.
- Affirm the school’s Christian and learning values.
Our collective worship engages with a theme for the week. These themes are chosen from a variety of sources: The Christian Calendar, significant stories from the Bible which promote the core Christian Values, the school’s learning values, and our PSHE curriculum. To encourage an appreciation and understanding of other faiths, opportunities will be made to link Christian beliefs with those of other religions.
This pattern is flexible and on occasions it is recognised that teachers may feel that they need to respond to local or national events or events specific to the whole school community.
Easter, Christmas and Harvest Festival services, along with a service to mark the Year 6 pupils leaving, are held in St. Mary’s Church. The vicar of Kingsclere, Rev. Ben also makes regular visits into school to lead our collective worship. We are also fortunate enough to have visits from other ministers and priests from surrounding communities to lead worship and support school activities.
Parents have the right to withdraw their child from collective worship and should notify the Headteacher in writing should they wish to do so.