COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

Daily Act of Collective Worship

At Shirley Warren Primary and Nursery School, we provide a daily act of collective worship for pupils. This daily act focuses on our core values of ambition, respect and equality (ARE) which are linked to the core Human Values of democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance.

The daily act of worship includes everyone (those with different faiths and beliefs and for those without religious beliefs) listening to stories based on cultural traditions or with a moral message.  Through our weekly themes, children will learn to reflect about these key messages and how it affects themselves and others around them.

The weekly concept is introduced during Monday’s assembly. Following this, children will have the time to reflect on the topic during collective class worship, which will be during morning registration.  We also ensure that our curriculum allows for deeper exploration of these themes through timetabled Philosophy for children lessons and Circle Time.

Religious Education themes and topics are covered via Living Difference Lessons as well as through assemblies and PSHE.

Philosophy

Religious Education seeks to enable pupils to acquire knowledge and understanding about Christianity and other principle faiths of Great Britain, by studying the beliefs of those faiths, the ways in which those beliefs are expressed and celebrated and the implications of those beliefs for lifestyles and behaviour. RE is also concerned with the spiritual dimension in life and the search for meaning by both believers and the pupils themselves. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of children is accessible through RE. It offers unique opportunities not available through other areas of the curriculum.

Aims

Children of any faith and those of no faith are encouraged to value everyone and their beliefs equally.  Shared assembly times focus on celebration and the worth-ship of all of those within the school community. 

Our aims are:

• To show interest in and concern for members of the school community
• To celebrate special occasions together
• To show concern for the daily happenings in school life, the local community and wider world
• To share appreciation of worthwhile activities undertaken by groups within the school
• To reflect upon dimensions of human life, the wonderful, beautiful, joyful, heroic, humorous, tragic, ugly, sorrowful, solemn…

Through the teaching of RE children will prepare for a life in a society characterised by diversity of religious affiliations. Our intention is to enable children to explore the place and significance of religions in human life. We are seeking to initiate pupils into knowledge in which we encourage them to explore and appreciate, rather than into a system which requires them to accept a religion or religious beliefs.

Visits and Visitors in Class

 RE will be planned and taught in half termly units in a two year cycle. Within the two year cycle one year should include a visit to a religious place of worship. Visitors should be invited into school for at least one theme per year to talk to the children about their faith.

Right of Withdrawal

Right of Withdrawal According to the Education Act 1996 and the School Standards and Framework Act 1988 parents have the right to withdraw their children from all or part of Religious Education lessons. Parents are informed of this right through the school induction procedure.