Spirituality at Wadhurst CE Primary School & Nursery
What Is Spirituality?
It is very difficult to put into words what ‘spirituality’ actually is because it is a very personal experience. It differs from person to person, and often spirituality changes within people during their lifetime.
As a church school we are concerned with the development of people’s mind, body and soul. We believe that spirituality should influence all areas of education and life, therefore we aim that all areas of the curriculum contribute to pupils’ spiritual development. Spiritual development relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone, and is not dependent on a religious affiliation.
Spiritual development is not about becoming, more spiritual, it is about realising or becoming more and more aware of one’s natural, innate spirituality. This is sometimes a slow and gradual process, at other times there might be significant stages of realisation, which are part of the ongoing ‘developing’ process. People don’t reach a finished state of spiritual development, but participate in the ongoing process of spiritual realisation.
We use spiritual capacities to help us understand and plan ways in which children may develop spiritually. These are not a tick list. All spiritual capacities are likely to be developed a number of times during the year by each year group. We recognise, however, that there is a progression in the depth of reflection as children move through the school.
When talking to children about spirituality, we may simplify our language to focus on:
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A sense of awe and wonder
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Care for nature and living things
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Wanting to love and to be loved by people
Awe and Wonder
Children are born inquisitive, and it is our duty to nurture this natural curiosity and guide them towards looking at the world and noticing, with awe and wonder, the natural and man-made delights all around us. We want to encourage them to ask ‘big questions’ about life, religion, nature, science and any other area of fascination.
Caring for Nature and Living Things
We provide many opportunities for children to learn about nature and the role they play in protecting our world. As a Church School, this is especially important. The children explore the wonders of our Forest School. Through science, humanities, and forest school, children learn about the world and how they can care for living things.
Love
We are a very caring school and pride ourselves on our ethos of family. Through our Christian Values, we teach children to care for friends, family and the community. Our RE curriculum includes learning about those we love and who love us. We also offer other family events throughout the school year so children can learn and share learning with their family in school.
Our Spiritual Capacities
Children’s spiritual development is fostered through all aspects of our provision. It is about the relationships and the values that we consider to be important, as well as the development of knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes. Please click on the image to view the document in full.
Windows, Mirrors and Doors
We use the framework of Windows, Mirrors and Doors to help frame opportunities for children to develop spiritually.
WINDOWS: giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life's 'Wow!s' (things that are amazing) and 'Oh!s' (things that bring us up short). In this children are learning about life in all its fullness.
MIRRORS: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life's big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.
DOORS: giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value
As a school we build opportunities throughout the curriculum for children to use these steps to scafold their thinking. Through high-quality RE lessons, children are consistently challenged to reflect on their learning about religion to help them learn from religion, regardless of whether they have a specific faith.
Children at our school often identify DOORS for themselves. They may hear of a local issue or an international event and request to take action, through fund raising and raising awareness. We also work with the local community through litter picking, making posters for display in the village, local fundraising and other activities. We also take part in Comic Relief, Children in Need, as well as identifying other charities to support during the year.
What is the Role of the School Community?
All members of the school community have a responsibility for helping to nurture children’s spiritual development.
School staff can do this through:
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Establishing and maintaining a partnership between pupils, parents and staff; recognising and respecting the faith background of the children and their families;
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Taking part in, and supporting, collective acts of worship;
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Being good role models in their conduct towards other members of the community;
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Promoting an attitude of respect for other people and for others’ views;
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Nurturing consideration for and generosity towards others.
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Drawing on the experiences of pupils and their families during religious education lessons and beyond;
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Recognising and being constantly aware of the needs and backgrounds of each individual pupil;
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Being willing to develop their own knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith and the faiths of others;
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Having a positive attitude to the value of spiritual education.
Pupils can do this through:
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Taking an active part in acts of collective worship;
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Participating in activities which promote the skills allowing them to engage in examination of and reflection upon religious belief and practice;
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Conducting themselves towards others considerately, in line with the code of conduct;
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Respecting the views and beliefs of others.
Parents can help through:
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Adopting a positive attitude to the value of spiritual education;
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Supporting the school’s Christian ethos and acts of community worship such as assemblies and church services;
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Respecting the views and beliefs of others