Collective Worship
Collective Worship
Psalm 100: 1:4 of the Bible
“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the LORD is God. It is He, who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.”
Our Collective Worship is highly valued and a specified time in the school day where the whole school community gathers together to honour God. It provides an opportunity for our school community to arrive in worship with the right attitude, engage with our own spirituality and Biblical teachings and leave feeling refreshed and inspired.
For us, worship is the ‘heartbeat’ of the school day. It is a time when all can come together to be still and find quietness, to reflect on our own spirituality, values and place in the world.
Collective worship gives the whole school community the opportunity to:
- Engage in an act of community
- Express praise and thanksgiving to God
- Reflect on the character of God and on the teachings of Christ through Biblical texts
- Affirm Christian values and attitudes
- Celebrate special times in the Christian calendar
- Experience and respond to Anglican traditions and practices
- Explore the big questions of life and respond to national events
- Foster respect and deepen spiritual awareness
- Be still and reflect
- Share each other’s joys and challenges
Collective Worship is inclusive in that it welcomes those of Christian faith, other faiths or none. It recognises the collectivity of all participants, making no assumption that all have the same beliefs and values.
In accordance with legislation an act of Worship happens daily at Egerton. This can be either together in school or at St James’s Church, or as a class group.
Our Approach
Collective Worship in our school is...
Invitational
Everyone is welcome to take part in collective worship, as much or as little as they or their parents and carers are comfortable with. This means we use invitational language and consider carefully our choice of words and songs. Children are invited to pray but are not compelled or expected to do so; they always have a choice. We invite them to pray or reflect in whatever way they would usually as a family, if that is part of their home experience.
Inclusive
Acts of worship need to be inclusive of all. Therefore, we choose topics and ideas that are shared by different faiths and world views. When we present Christian teaching, we make it clear that this is ‘what Christians believe’, saying things like: ‘I wonder why this story might be important to Christians?’ ‘The story today comes from the Bible (the holy book of Christians), which teaches that … Our worship should be accessible for children and young people with a range of different backgrounds, and so we take care that activities do not require expensive resources. We also offer a variety of activities, so that children and young people with differing needs can all find something they can engage with.
Inspiring
We aim for our acts of worship to inspire those engaging with them. How might it engage their emotions, enabling a sense of peace, comfort, hope or motivation? How might it inspire them into action, into thinking differently and considering their behaviour or actions? How might it inspire them to reflect on their faith or beliefs, and on the faith or beliefs of others?
Timetable
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| 2.40pm - 3pm | 2.40pm - 3pm | 2.40pm - 3pm | 2.40pm - 3pm | 1.10pm - 1.30pm |
| Collective Worship | Collective Worship | Collective Worship | Collective Worship | Celebration Assembly |
| St James's Church | School Hall | School Hall | School Hall | School Hall |