Collective Worship
“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.”
Psalm 100: 1:4 of the Bible
Every day, our school community comes together for Collective Worship. As a Church of England and Methodist school, our Collective Worship is centred on Christianity and our core Christian Values:
Koinonia
Love
Compassion
Wisdom
Forgiveness
Service
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 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.
Collective worship gives the whole school community the opportunity to:
Every day, a different member of staff or clergy leads our collective worship:
Worship usually follows the following pattern:
During all of our daily collective worship sessions, we say together our school prayer and also reflect on John Wesley's Rule. Our children are regularly involved in leading different aspects of our worship including lighting the candle, singing, prayer and opportunities for quiet reflection.
We are mindful of the variation in personal spiritual styles and provide a range of creative opportunities including music, silence, symbolism, drama and use of IT.
We also celebrate the major Christian festivals throughout the year. Parents are often invited to join us, either at school with our local Methodist minister or at our local Church of England Parish Church, St Mary’s at Great Chart. These include the Christmas, Easter and Harvest services.
School Prayer
Our school prayer reflects our Christian values and John Wesley’s rule and is said in Collective Worship. It was written in discussion with children, staff and governors. It is also displayed around the school and children are encouraged to live out the school prayer in all of their interactions.
Lord,
May our school be filled with love and friendship.
Let compassion thrive here.
Please guide us with your wisdom and let learning fill our days.
Help us to take every opportunity to serve others.
Help us to be forgiving when we feel wronged.
Be our guide and keep us safe in all that we do.
Lord, make our school a welcoming family and your home too.
Amen
Withdrawal from Collective Worship
While The John Wesley CEM Primary School is a Church of England school, we are committed to respecting individual beliefs. Upon entrance to the school, parents are made aware of the Christian basis of our teaching. If parents wish to withdraw their child from Collective Worship then please consult the Headteacher.
We celebrate the cultural diversity of all the members of our school and have a cohesive community. Whilst Collective Worship will always reflect the Christian ethos of our school, we respect and acknowledge the variety of religious observances which are represented in our school and within the wider community. We acknowledge too that there are those of no faith who choose to be part of our school community.
Further information may be found in our Collective Worship Policy.