What is collective worship?

Collective Worship is a creative, reflective and spiritual experience, planned around the school’s Christian vision of ‘Learning to live together, together living to learn’.  ‘Learn from me’ (Matthew 11:29).

During Covid-19, collective worship moved to being provided via video. Videos of worship were shared in each class ‘bubble’. At the start of 2021/22, this will continue several times per week but with a move gradually towards the gathering of more than one year group in the hall together.

Our worships are structured as follows:

• A candle is lit as a focus and reminder that Jesus said, “I am the light of the world.” John 8v12
• A child or adult leads the worship with the phrase, “The Lord be with you”, and everyone responds, “And with you.”
• Children enjoy a wide range of worship songs, often linked to our Christian values.
• A Bible story may be told, chosen to be related to the Christian theme as well as the needs of the children.
• There is opportunity for children to read a few well known verses from the Bible or a Psalm.
• Often there is a challenge to practical action – encouraging children to decide / choose to put God’s love into practice. For example, children may be encouraged to support the local Food Bank charity.
• Children have an opportunity to respond in prayer. We use the school prayer or the Lord’s Prayer and also encourage spontaneous prayers which may be led by the children.
• In a busy school day we make “Time for reflection.” Maybe a quiet time or using music as children take time to consider what they have heard.
• Finally, we often share the peace. This allows pupils to demonstrate their love and care for one another. “May the peace of the Lord be with you – and also with you.”
• The worship ends with a child or adult saying, “Go in the peace of God”. Everyone responds, “Thanks be to God”.
• The candle is then extinguished.

Father Thomas from Christ Church, London Road, leads our collective worship in school every Tuesday.

We visit Christ Church regularly throughout the year for special services which are often school-led, such as: Harvest Festival, Christmas (when Year 1 act out the Nativity with Year 6 narrating) and Easter. We also hold our special Leavers Service at Christ Church in July each year. Children take on roles such as servers, readers and singers.