Collective Worship

We end every day with an act of collective worship; collective worship is an important and distinctive part of the school day. It is designed to be a formative and nurturing learning experience. It can help us to learn how to articulate our gratitude, hopes and fears to God as well as allowing us to become better equipped in dealing with difficulties in a positive way.

As a Church of England school, our collective worship is Christian in nature but invitational for all faiths and beliefs. All beliefs are respected; we do not seek to convert, instead encouraging each of us to be a good person, letting our light shine and to follow our paths wholeheartedly. We encourage pupils to learn from faith as well as learn about faith.

Collective worship is a wonderful opportunity for the spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development of all pupils, whether this be achieved by praying, discussion, meditation, or contemplation.

Pupils are encouraged to take part in collective worship as it is an important feature of our collective identity. Worship in our school is about taking time out for personal reflection, being thankful and appreciative, as well as exploring the importance of values in our daily life, developing and reinforcing positive attitudes.

Through collective worship we encourage our pupils to:

Consider and explore their own beliefs
Reflect on spiritual and moral issues
Nurture their own personal relationship with God
Develop a sense of awe and wonder about Creation
Explore fundamental questions and the importance of religious beliefs
Celebrate special occasions and to share feelings such as thankfulness, fellowship, sadness or hope
Experience a sense of belonging and develop community spirit

Class Led Worship at Lower Heath

Every half term, each class leads a whole school worship based on either a story, current event or something inspired by the children. We believe worship should be inspiring so we include lively songs that are both traditional hymns and more contemporary in nature. Children use our whole school Windows, Mirrors, Doors structure to engage their peers and include them in the worship.

Children are often inspired by our collective worship; this is particularly evident during their class-lead gatherings. It is a joy to see them engaging in stories, often acting out either a bible story or children’s book to enthuse all pupils to let their light shine.

Here are some of the class led worships that have delighted us all!

Skylark Class:

Owl Class:

Prayer

Prayer forms a regular feature of our lives each day at Lower Heath. Whether saying our values prayers or The Lord’s Prayer, pupils respectfully and thoughtfully talk to God. We instill in our pupils that prayer is simply about talking and listening to God. Just as a child would talk to a parent, we encourage the children in turn to talk and listen to God.

As teachers in our collective worship, we provide the setting, the opportunity and the example for children in order that they can make their own choice to participate or quietly observe and reflect for themselves. Prayer always features during our acts of collective worship.

Our church leader – Rev. Sue Armstrong

The children attend Holy Immanuel Church in Fauls for Harvest, Christmas and Easter services, and Rev. Sue Armstrong leads these services. Children also visit the church at other times of the year to support their worship or their RE learning. Rev. Armstrong also visits the school weekly to lead worship. As a school governor, Rev. Armstrong monitors the Christian distinctiveness of the school and supports the school in continually developing this. She says; “Having been an infant teacher and Brownie Guide leader before ordination, I particularly enjoy my role as foundation governor and the link between the church and the school.”