Enhancing School Worship: Partnerships and Reflections

1. Delivering high quality Collective Worship in primary school What is the role and purpose of Collective worship in the life of a church school? What makes for a meaningful act of collective worship in a school?

2. Finding the common ground Working in partnership with your Headteacher to build and develop the worshipping life of the school

3. Points for discussion Personal reflection • What do you perceive your role to be as a senior leader/as a priest? • What do you perceive your role to be in the development of collective worship in the school? • How effective do you think you are in fulfilling your role? Discussion: • Where are the similarities? • Where are the differences? • What is currently working? • Where are the potential difficulties?

4. How well do the school and church understand each other?

5. What do you know about your school and church? Personal reflection: • If you had to describe your school church, what would you say? • If you had describe your school, what would you say? Discuss: • How well do you know each other’s context? • How do they relate to each other? • What are the strengths in the relationship? • What are the potential barriers?

6. What is worship?

7. What is collective worship?

8. What is the difference between corporate and collective worship? Discuss: Corporate worship is….. Collective worship is….

9. Definition Corporate worship assumes a single shares set of beliefs within the context of a specific faith community e.g. Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jewish, Sikh. Collective worship recognises the collective nature and diverse beliefs and opinions of those present. Worship should be offered in such a way that all those present, regardless of faith or worldview stance, can feel comfortable and welcome to participate in the experience being offered. Collective worship does not pre-suppose shared beliefs, and should not seek uniform responses from pupils. Collective worship caters for a diversity of beliefs and points of view, allowing individuals to respond as individuals.

10. Another definition of the term collective • The term ‘collective’ should ensure the right of each individual present to respond in thoughtful reflection or by prayer as a unique individual and not as a member of a body of believers in a common faith. No-one’s faith or integrity should be compromised, and everyone should find some gain from their presence there. Many will take the opportunities presented to make the response of worship; others will be brought to the threshold of worship, others may be given the chance to see what worship might be like, but everyone will experience the unifying effect of this daily time of reflection upon the school community.

11. Points for discussion • What is the make up of your school? • What do you consciously do to ensure all are included in your daily act of worship? • What works well and how do you know? • Are there any groups that you struggle to meet their needs? Can you identify why this is and what you can do to address this?

12. Legal requirements The School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (Section 70 and Schedule 20) requires: • All registered pupils (apart from those whose parents exercise the right to withdrawal) must on "each school day take part in an act of Collective Worship." This is also the case in schools without a religious character. • The daily act of collective worship in a Church school should be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Trust Deed of the school and the school’s vision/ethos statement or, where it is not stated within the Trust Deed, should be consistent with the beliefs and practices of the Church of England. • For collective worship, pupils can be grouped in various ways: as a whole school, according to age, or in groups (or a combination of groups) used by the school at other times. • The daily act of collective worship will normally take place on the school premises. Schools are, however, permitted to hold their acts of Collective Worship elsewhere (e.g. the local parish church, in the school grounds). • Responsibility for the oversight of collective worship rests with the governors in consultation with the Headteacher. Foundation governors have a particular responsibility to ensure that the character or foundation of the school is reflected in Collective Worship

13. Why should collective worship take place? What is its purpose?

14. Why should collective worship take place? • Creating space for children and staff to worship God • Time to reflect on the vision, values and ideas of the school’s aims and objectives, offering the chance for individuals and classes to make their own distinctive contributions. • For children and staff to explore the spiritual dimension to their life experiences in quiet contemplation, enabling them to participate more fully in the shared responsibilities of the communities to which they belong. • Given that attendance at collective worship is compulsory, what does it mean to participate? How do we help children to be active participants rather than passive attendees?

15. SIAMS scheduleStrand 6: The impact of collective worship In this strand the following must be explored: The ways in which collective worship is an expression of the school’s Christian vision. Opportunity to grow spiritually

16. To experience prayer, stillness, worship and reflection

17. Inclusive • Invitational • Inspirational

18. Encounter the teachings of Jesus and the Bible

19. Trinitarian nature of God and its language

20. Pupils and adults to engage in the planning, leading and evaluation of Collective Worship in ways that lead to improving practice. All leaders including clergy receive regular training.

21. Links with the church community

22. In your school currently Reflect/discuss • How is worship an expression of your vision? • What aspects do you do well at? • What aspects do you find more difficult to do?

23. Preparing to lead an act of collective worship Personal reflection: A time when you have led a collective worship that has gone well. What made it a positive experience? A time when you have led a collective worship that has not gone so well. What made it a negative experience?

24. Preparation for leading a meaningful act of collective worship Discuss: What are the key questions that need to be considered prior to leading an act of collective worship in a school?

25. Things to be considered • Age group • How you want pupils to sit • Worship partners • Vulnerable pupils • Creating a sacred space • Time of day and length of the worship • How is the worship an expression of the school’s vision? • Liturgical calendar • What Biblical text will be used? • How does the act of worship build on the day before’s worship and the overall theme for the term? • How does the worship help an individual and community grow spiritually? • How is the worship going to be inclusive, invitational, inspirational?

26. What makes for a meaningful act of collective worship in a school?

28. What makes for a meaningful act of collective worship in a school? • Gathering • Engaging • responding/reflecting • Sending KEEP IT SIMPLE! (KIS) What is the one key message you want the children to take away with them?

29. The Gathering Discuss: What might the gathering look like and consist of?

30. The gathering The aim of the gathering, however schools choose to do it, is to bring people into the presence of God, into a sacred space, enabling all to focus on a time of worship. • The gathering starts from the moment they start moving to the sacred space – how do children do this? • Preparing the worship table – bringing up the candle and Bible and the lighting of the candle • Having music playing as the community enter • Have an image/quote up for the community to reflect on • Consider how children are seated • Opening prayer or liturgical call and response • Opening prayerful song

31. Creating the sacred space

32. Engagement Discuss: What might you include in this section?

33. Engagement • Theme introduced • Biblical text introduced and explored: Key questions to explore at this point: What does the text mean? What big question does it pose? What impact does this teaching have on my life? What can I learn from it? How can my actions today and in the coming weeks, reflect the teaching of the text explored? Strategies: • Use of visuals/artefacts • Use of IT – video clips • Use of a visitor • Music • Role play • Bringing texts alive – story telling • Linking personal stories/experiences to the Biblical teaching • Differentiating questions asked • Children participating from the front • Use the staff to listen in and to give feedback • Talk partners • Talk groups

34. Responding/reflecting Discuss: What might you include in this section?

35. Responding/reflecting/silence • Responding/Reflection and silence: Providing children with the opportunity to make personal connections with what they have heard and understood. Don’t be afraid by the silence. Ideas to help children into silence: • I wonder…………………. • Gathering the views of the community • Visualisation • Painting to reflect on • Words to reflect on • Music to listen to • Personal written response • Personal response to take back to the class collective worship area

36. Allow for deep silence Children who choose not to speak are not spaces where ‘nothing’ is happening. Silence is a way of saying something so important that it can’t be put into words.

37. Sending Things to consider: • What is the message you want the children to go away with? • What might you ask them to go and do in response to the worship? Action: Eg How can you show kindness today? Share the message with someone who has not heard it today – ie taking the message home. Write a written response for the class collective worship area. • You may want to end the responding/reflection time with a prayer/poem/song/words from scripture Ie: The school prayer, the Lord’s prayer, the school Biblical text • How do you wish children to leave the place of worship? Ideas: • Listening to music • Singing • In silence • Visual to look at

38. A sacred space in every classroom

39. A sacred space in every classroom

40. A sacred space in every classroom

41. Points for discussion • How is collective worship planned in your school each week? • Is there a continuity from one day to the next? • Does each day follow the same pattern? • What works well? • What needs tweaking?

42. Monitoring and evaluating the quality of worship Reflect/discuss • How do you monitor and evaluate the quality of worship? • Who is involved in the monitoring? • What impact does it have on influencing change?

43. Things to consider: • Frequency • Impact beyond the moment • Role of governors • Role of pupil and staff voice • Role of clergy

44. Role of the child Reflect/discuss What role do children play in the planning/implementing and evaluating worship in your school?

45. Things to consider: • Pupil voice • Pupil engagement • Pupil participation • Pupil leadership • Pupils’ skills in monitoring and evaluating the quality of the worship What do adults and children remember about the acts of worship they have experienced?

46. Points for discussion Look at the monitoring and evaluation template for collective worship What can you say about your school? What is your evidence base? What are your next steps?

47. What children think makes a meaningful act of collective worship I I like it when there is silence – we don’t get much of that in the day. it when there is silence – we don’t get much of

48. It has helped us build r It has helped us build respect for each other’s faith and for each other as humans. r each other’s faith and

49. We are given time to say sWe are given time to say sorry to God. God.

50. Collective worship really helped me when my Grandma died. I like it when everyone is together in one place.