Collective Worship

In Church of England schools, Collective Worship is seen as more than a daily ‘awe and wonder’ moment. It is the unique heartbeat of a school and is offered as part of a wider opportunity for children and adults to encounter faith by engaging in conversations about God, both as individuals and together.  We recognise that not all of our school community are Christians, indeed we welcome children and families from all faiths and none. Worship is therefore invitational and inclusive.

As a Church School, Worship in our school is in line with the Church of England practices; ‘wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’. We are committed to offering an encounter with Jesus Christ and with Christian faith and practice in a way that enhances the lives of Staff, children and families. This includes through prayer, reading and reflecting on the Bible, liturgy, sacrament and experience of the musical and other imaginative riches of Christianity.

It is a legal requirement for all schools that there is a daily act of Christian worship which is truly welcoming and exemplifies the principles of Christian hospitality. It makes an important contribution to the spiritual flourishing of the whole school community.

Collective Worship at St Nicholas School, is a sacred and significant time of each day, where we gather together as a school family.  This time strengthens and supports the Christian identity of our school and reaffirms our Christian vision.

 Weekly Schedule:

The Worship Plan is carefully designed to include:

• significant Christian festivals eg. Advent, Epiphany, Pentecost.
• Saints’ Days including Saint Nicholas.
• special days such as Children in Need, Remembrance Day, World Book Day, Black History Month, Anti-Bullying, Internet Safety.
• biblical material eg. Parables, Miracles, Famous People in the Bible, Friends of Jesus, Old Testament characters, Stories about Jesus, Easter Stories, Christmas stories.
• key Christian texts eg. The Lord’s Prayer, The Ten Commandments.
• broader themes such as new year, new life, journeys, moving on.

 Worship in our school may be led by Staff, children and visitors. It is further enhanced by visits from Reverend Carole George from St Nicholas Church.  The children are further challenged to think, ask questions and share their views about the world around them.

Worship may take place in the classroom (Class Worship; hearing a Bible Story), in one of our school halls (in phases finding out more about our values or learning about the teachings of Jesus), or collectively when we come together as a whole school community at the end of each term.

We hold weekly Sung Worship, where our children love to rejoice in the singing of hymns, creating a sense of reverence, joy, unity and a shared experience.

At the end of each week, we recognise and celebrate achievements within the school and acknowledge our ‘Values in Action’, nominated by Staff and children.

Groups of children, such as our Pupil Voice Committees, are encouraged to prepare and lead worship on occasion, to allow them to gain valuable leadership experience and to extend our children’s ability to think and reflect on a wide range of issues.

Each Class also leads one Worship each year and families are invited into school to hear more about what their child has been learning about or a theme of their choice, sometimes linked to our Christian values.

We also hold family Bread-Sharing Services for Reception and KS1 children and Eucharists which KS2 children take part in. Services of Worship are also held at St Nicholas Church as Christmas (Key Stage 2) and Easter