Collective Worship

Collective Worship

The principles underpinning the spiritual development of our children are based on the gospel values of justice, compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation.  Children learn to encounter and appreciate the love of God in their everyday lives and in the world around them.

Collective Worship takes into account the religious and educational needs of all who share in it. It is the responsibility of every catholic school to provide for all its members a vital experience of Celebration of the Word, worship and prayer. It is an experience to which all can contribute and from which all can gain.

Worship is more than just a legal requirement. It is an integral part of school life and central to the Catholic tradition.

Aims

To provide opportunities for pupils and staff to:

  • Give honour and praise to God
  • Develop the school as a community of faith, developing a common ethos and shared values
  • Encounter and develop their relationship with God, creation and the community of the Church
  • Witness to the community and the wider world
  • Contemplate something of the mystery of God
  • Reflect on spiritual and moral issues
  • Explore their own beliefs
  • Grow in spirituality, liturgical understanding and development

Collective Worship:

  • Follows a structure (Gather, The Word, Respond, Mission)
  • Is linked to the Liturgical Year, current RED branches or other significant event.
  • Scripture is the key focus in most acts of worship. Scripture guides and shapes every other aspect of Celebration of the Word
  • Develops pupils’ skills which enable them to prepare, organise and lead worship
  • Responds to changing situations within the school and the wider community

All Acts of Worship:

  • Give glory and honour to God
  • Are quality, valued moments of time, fundamental to the life of the school and its Catholic character
  • Give children positive liturgical experiences, appropriate to their age, aptitude and family backgrounds in order to prepare them for the liturgical life of the Church and their mission within it

Wherever possible Acts of worship are:

  • Varied in size, space, location and prayer form to engage children in their faith in varying ways
  • Short and appropriately paced
  • Simple, including a range of experiences offered in a variety of groupings and in a variety of settings

BRW Collective Worship Policy