Collective Worship
What is collective worship and why do we do it?
At Staverton CofE Primary School the children take part in a daily act of collective worship (also known as an assembly). As a church school, this is a requirement of the school to have a daily act of collective worship, but more importantly, it is a time within our busy school day, where we can come together and learn about important values for our lives. Collective worship teaches the children the importance of our Christian vision and values through stories, discussion and real-life examples. It also provides moments for children to be still, calm and reflective allowing children to grow spiritually.
Aims of collective worship
- Express praise and thanksgiving to God.
- Be still and reflect.
- 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 Christian values and attitudes.
- Share each other’s joys and challenges.
- Celebrate special times in the Christian calendar.
- Allows children to engage with the planning and leadership of collective worships.
- Encourage local partnerships with the local church community
- Appreciate worship in different ways: music, silence, story, prayer, reflection and other traditions of Anglican worship
What does Collective Worship look like through the week?
- Monday – Whole school singing collective worship
- Tuesday – Teacher led collective worships, either based on a value or a story
- Wednesday – Headteacher’s collective worship
- Thursday – Visitor collective worship lead by either open the book or our local church leaders.
- Friday – Whole school celebration assembly
During each collective worship, there will be reminders of our school’s vision and values. Our collective worships start with a gathering phrase of ‘peace be with you’, to which the children respond: ‘and also with you’. In each collective worship, there is an element of reflection through stillness or prayer, a chance for the children to respond to the themes of the worship and a chance to engage spiritually through music. We also enjoy learning about our values through storytelling in collective worships, either with a picture book, orally told story or through drama. Every collective worship has an element of interaction with the children to engage them in worship.
School Prayers
As a Church of England School, Staverton supports pupils to grow familiar Anglican Worship. These set prayers (sometimes called ‘liturgy’) are spoken in churches around the world!
The Grace
May the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, ever more. Amen.
The Peace
The Peace of the Lord be always with you. (And also with you).
The Blessing
May the Lord Bless you and keep you. May the Lord Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord turn his face towards you, and bring you peace.
