You can read our Collective Worship policy here.
Collective Worship at our school aims to be Inclusive, Invitational, and Inspiring.
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.
Collective worship gives pupils and school staff the opportunity to:
- Engage in an act of community
- Express praise and thanksgiving to God
- Be still and reflect in a world which is fast past and ever-changing
- Explore the ‘Big questions’ of life and respond to national events
- Foster respect and deepen spiritual awareness
- Reflect on the character of God and on the teachings of Christ
- Affirm our Christian values and attitudes
- Share and show compassion for each other’s successes and challenges
- Celebrate special times in the world religions calendar
Please find links from the Diocese of Guildford regarding Collective Worship in Church of England schools:
Guidance for Collective Worship in Church schools
Collective Worship Guidelines
Collective Worship themes and resources
Here are some of the resources we have used during Collective Worship.
SIAMS
All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the Church of England Education Office’s framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The SIAMS Evaluation Schedule sets out the expectations for the conduct of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican, Methodist and ecumenical Schools under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005.
SIAMS inspection focuses on the impact of the Church school’s Christian vision on pupils and adults. This involves looking at the school’s Christian vision, the provision the school makes because of this vision and how effective this provision is in enabling all pupils to flourish. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles appropriate to, and reflective of, their particular context in order to be distinctively and effectively Christian in their character and ethos. SIAMS inspectors therefore do not look for a set template of what a Church school should be like, but rather take the particular context of the school into account and base their evaluation on the outcomes rather than the process.
The Evaluation Schedule has one inspection question: “How effective is the school’s distinctive Christian vision, established and promoted by leadership at all levels, in enabling pupils and adults to flourish?”
This is explored through seven strands:
- Vision and Leadership
- Wisdom, Knowledge, and Skills
- Character Development: Hope, Aspiration, and Courageous Advocacy
- Community and Living Well Together
- Dignity and Respect
- Impact of Collective Worship
- Effectiveness of Religious Education.
One overall grade is awarded reflecting the contribution of these strands to the flourishing of pupils and adults in a Church school. In addition a standalone grade is awarded in all schools for collective worship and in voluntary aided (VA) schools and former VA schools for religious education (RE). This grade is based on teaching and learning alone.