The Four Key Elements

Self – Why Me? & Understanding of Self

• Awareness of feelings; ability to reflect and express
• Awareness of our uniqueness; happiness with who we are
• Gratitude for the things we have and the person we are
• Exploration of personal faith
• Development of imagination and creativity

Others – Relationships & Feelings/Emotions

• Empathy and understanding; respect
• To love and be loved (loving your neighbour)
• Making a difference; duty

Transcendence (Beyond)

• Encountering/experiencing God (having a sense of what lies beyond the material/physical)
• Ability to ask and discuss the ‘Big Questions’ (eg about life, death, suffering, nature of God)
• Opportunities for prayer, connecting with God
• Making sense of the world

 Awe and Wonder – Nature and Beauty

• Developing a sense of awe and wonder
• Enjoying the miracles of everyday life
• Taking time for what really matters
• Appreciating beauty in art, music, nature

How we aim to nurture spirituality

Children’s spiritual development is nurtured through all aspects of our provision. We believe it is important to develop strong relationships using our school Vision and Values as well as the development of knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes. We give children opportunities to:

• Have regular time in the day for quiet and reflection. This might be listening to a story, lighting the candles in worship, listening to music, the reflection for the day, use of the reflection areas around school or the prayers said throughout the day.
• Have opportunities for creativity and using their imagination
• Sing in lessons and as part of our weekly worship – at the moment we are unable to do this due to Covid restrictions
• Explore, express, share and compare feelings and opinions. This is planned into all subjects across our curriculum but it more focused within our PSHE/ RSE using the Jigsaw scheme, worship and RE lessons. 
• Constantly reaffirm the importance of relationships. How we talk to and relate with each other is fundamental.
• Express awe and wonder, appreciate beauty in all its forms, and appreciate the connections and unity in the world
• Encourage each other to admit mistakes and to say sorry. Recognising and owning up to faults is an important process that allows us to heal and grow from our experiences.
• Encourage everyone to show kindness, caring and compassion, and to express these in practical ways. (eg: how we treat each other every day; charitable works; through prayer spaces)
• Explore the ‘Big Questions’ – particularly through our RE curriculum, topics, worship, theme weeks, news events and through nurture sessions.
• Read often, giving them opportunities to discuss and reflect. This includes both secular and religious texts, in particular the Bible.
• Begin to develop their own system of beliefs, which may or may not include religious beliefs.
• Reflect on the situations of others through role play or stories.

Structures to support and develop spirituality

• Opportunities are planned across our curriculum.
• We are developing our use of Big Books for ‘ Thoughts, Prayers and Reflections’ to show the developing reflection and spirituality across the school.
• We have a planned programme for Collective Worship across the school. Themes are planned for the year, based on our School Values using Roots and Fruits and the Diocesan plans. Worship also involves British Values and is flexible enough to respond to World events.
• There is a daily act of Collective Worship taking different forms, and involving our Worship Leaders, other children and a range of visitors.
• Displays and pictures around the school continually celebrate and encourage reflection and spirituality.
• Visits and visitors support all our work.

Impact: how do we know this is being effective?

Spiritually has helped to develop children love and accept themselves and enjoy good relationships with each other.  They take an interest and delight in the world around them and are open to what lies beyond the material (this may manifest itself in faith/belief in God). They are able to express and understand feelings, as well as respect those of others. They have a strong moral sense and a love of what is good. They are able to enjoy quiet and stillness, they possess an active imagination, and show joy in creativity and discovering new skills.