At WFPS, Collective Worship is a special time where we come together, in a daily gathering of our children and staff to worship, learn and reflect on Christian Values. As a Church of England school, we base our collective time together on the teachings of Christ and Anglican traditions. It is a time where we explore our Christian Vision, Ethos, and School Values, we reflect on them and link these to the teachings of the Bible. We aim to be inclusive to individual faith, no faith, and the beliefs of all members of our school and our wider community. At the heart of our Collective Worship is:
Jesus said, "I came to give life - life in all it's fullness."
John 10 v 10
Aims for Collective Worship
We believe the aims and purpose of Collective Worship are:
- To provide an opportunity for the children and school community to worship God together
- To enable the children and school community to consider spiritual and moral issues
- To enable the children and adults to explore their own beliefs
- To encourage participation and response
- To develop in children a sense of community spirit
- To promote a common ethos with shared values and to reinforce positive attitudes
- To introduce different ways of worshipping
- To include the opportunity for celebration, thanksgiving and sharing emotional experiences and time to share successes and challenges in personal, school and community life.
Our Approach to Worship
In developing inclusive, invitational, and inspiring Collective Worship, we continually evaluate and refine the extent to which we offer:
- Opportunity for all to grow spiritually through prayer, stillness, worship, and reflection
- Opportunity to appreciate Christian's worship in different ways such as through music, silence, story, drama, prayer, reflection, Anglican Liturgy and traditions, festivals, and Eucharist (Communion)
- Time of reflection on the fundamental questions of life and focus attention away from the concerns of the moment to those things which are of eternal concern to human beings. We strive for children to experience ‘spirituality’ by enabling them to develop a worshipful attitude as demonstrated by feelings such as awe and wonder, feelings of elation, appreciation, gratitude, respect, quiet reflection, reverence, and trepidation and of being uplifted.
How daily collective Worship enables pupils and adults to flourish spiritually:
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Daily collective worship is a central, valued part of school life, resulting in strong spiritual development and a shared sense of community.
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Worship is clearly rooted in Christian values and the Church calendar, leading to greater understanding of Christian belief and practice.
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Strong partnerships with St Peter’s Church and the Diocese ensure high-quality, theologically informed worship, enriching pupils’ spiritual experiences.
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Worship is invitational, inclusive and inspirational, enabling all pupils and adults to engage meaningfully and flourish spiritually.
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By incorporating the use of windows, mirrors and doors, children’s spiritual development is supported.
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Varied approaches (music, liturgy such as the welcome words, storytelling, drama, silence) result in high levels of engagement and deeper, invitational prayer and reflection.
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The Parable of the Mustard Seed provides a recurring biblical reference within our collective worship, helping children explore how small acts of kindness, courage, compassion and faith can grow into something significant. Through reflection, prayer and discussion, children consider how they can nurture their own gifts and contribute to a community where everyone is welcomed and has a place to flourish.
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Diverse leadership (staff, clergy) provides broader perspectives, leading to diverse worship styles.
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Ongoing staff training and monitoring lead to improved confidence and consistency, resulting in high-quality worship experiences across school.
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Inclusive strategies (e.g. visuals, sign language, drama) ensure all pupils, including those with additional needs, can fully participate, increasing engagement.
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Pupils take active roles as Worship Ambassadors resulting in increased confidence, ownership and leadership skills.
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Inclusive worship connects faith to real-life issues, leading to deeper understanding of values in action (e.g. respect, justice, responsibility) and leads to children taking action.
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Worship themes are embedded across school through reflection areas and prayer opportunities, resulting in ongoing spiritual dialogue beyond worship time.
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Prayer Spaces provide opportunities for accessible prayer and reflection with pupil voice showing clear impact on wellbeing and self-reflection.
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Quiet times throughout the school day provides time and space to pause for reflection and prayer which supports positive mental health and wellbeing.
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Weekly singing worship enhances enjoyment and participation, reinforcing key Christian messages.
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School’s contribution to diocesan and Trust events demonstrates strong practice, while also extending impact beyond the school community.