Aspiring, nurturing, flourishing; together, shining a light

Our vision statement is woven into every aspect of our school. It stems from our strong belief that we are called, together, to shine a light on ourselves, each other, on God and on our environment, so that we can ultimately be a light ‘shining before others.’ 

Our aim for Collective Worship at St Mary’s is that we aspire to become more like Jesus, be nurtured by God and that in turn, we would bring care into every relationship. We specifically shine light on the biblical values of friendship, compassion, trust, forgiveness, courage, perseverance. We have daily worship times as well as having built in times for reflection and prayer in our classrooms.

For us as a school, collective worship is an affirmation and celebration of our Christian ethos in which children have the opportunity to learn, worship and grow in their understanding of God and of themselves. Worship in our school is not simply a statutory duty. It an essential and prized part of our school life – a time to gather and reaffirm our vision and associated values. It is an oasis in the day when we meet together in a calm and peaceful atmosphere and are given the opportunity to reflect and participate. It is quality time and represents something special within our school day.

Our acts of collective worship reflect the variety of traditions found in the Church of England and recognise and follow the Christian liturgical year. We plan our Collective Worship to explore values and themes within them that are pertinent to those of a Christian Faith, other faiths and those with no faith. The topics covered will develop every child's spirituality regardless of faith. Our pupils play an active role in leading aspects of our Collective Worship. Our Collective Worship is inclusive, invitational and inspirational.

Collective Worship each week:

Monday          -   Mrs Maxwell (Headteacher)

Tuesday          -   Mrs Lee (SIAMS, Collective Worship / RE Lead)

Wednesday    -    Rev. Gary Norman

Thursday        -    Class based

Friday             -    Celebration Worship with Mrs Maxwell (Headteacher) and Mrs Bartram (Asssistant Head)