What is Spirituality?

We recognise that spirituality is the essence of life. Whilst the concept is difficult to define, we believe at St Mary’s that it is fundamentally about making connections. Our shared definition is as follows:

Spirituality is an individual, reflective journey of discovery - connecting with myself, others, the world and God, allowing us to experience the fullness of life.

At St Mary’s we believe that spiritual development differs from person to person and is a unique experience. Spirituality is not always the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith.

It is about care and concern for the human soul. In essence it is about awe and wonder, being reflective, having an open mind.

We intentionally and thoughtfully plan opportunities to nurture spiritual growth in the following ways, whilst acknowledging it can often occur in spontaneous moments:

• In our classroom reflection area activities 

• Through carefully planned class trips

• Through opportunities for reflection in our Foundation subjects - where reflection is an intrinsic part of the curriculum

• In our PSHCE curriculum

• Through daily opportunities for prayer 

• In our reflection on and discussion of our St Mary’s weekly ‘Big question’

• Our carefully designed ‘St Mary's Changemakers Project’ (Citizenship programme)

• In our daily Collective worship