At St Peter’s, we recognise that the act of Collective Worship is an affirmation and celebration of our strong Christian foundation, values and ethos. Collective worship is held daily so that we can all come together to worship God in a shared experience to which all can contribute and from which all can draw. It is firmly rooted in the Christian faith and shaped by the traditions of the Church of England. Pupils are able to relate the core Christian Values to their own lives through Christian teachings and bible stories which focus on God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
1 John 3:18
Our worship reflects the Church of England’s vision for education, “Deeply Christian, Serving the Common Good” published in Autumn 2016. It supports the development of the whole child – spiritually, emotionally, socially and morally – through the values of Wisdom, Hope, Community and Dignity.
Purpose of Collective Worship
Through daily worship, we aim to:
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Nurture the spiritual growth of every child
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Help children understand and experience Christian worship and the church year
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Strengthen our school community and affirm our Christian values
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Encourage reflection, respect, unity and care for one another
Daily Worship
Collective Worship takes place for 20 minutes every day and is led by either the Headteacher or Rector and staff on a rota. Worship follows a clear structure which is drawn up for each term providing a different theme every week. Each session always includes time to celebrate, think, reflect, sing and pray.
Structure of Worship
The children enter the hall quietly listening to music and are encouraged to prepare themselves for worship. The start of the service is indicated by a welcome and the lighting of a candle to represent God being the Light of the World. The act of worship is twenty minutes daily.
Pupil Leadership and Values
Children regularly help to plan and lead worship, ensuring pupil voice is strong and meaningful. Our worship is closely linked to our core values of Respect, Resolve, Aspiration and Well-being, alongside a rolling programme of Christian values such as love, forgiveness, hope, service and trust.
Children of each year group have opportunities to plan, prepare and lead Collective Worship to the rest of the school (each year group at least termly). All children in the class participate and plan around a theme either given in the Collective Worship planner or that which is integral to the core values and Christian values of the school.
Prayer Life
Prayer is an important part of school life. Children and adults are invited to pray in ways that feel meaningful to them. The Lord’s Prayer and our School Prayer are learned and shared regularly, and pupils can write prayers for our Prayer Tree, which are often included in worship.
Church Links and School Services
We enjoy strong links with St Peter’s Church. Services are held at the Church termly for the children, staff, parents, governors and friends to celebrate key points in the church year: Harvest, Christmas, Easter, St Peter’s Day and a final end of year celebratory service, or in Strawson’s field to celebrate Harvest.
The Team Minister, Reverend Ashton (of Tandridge, Crowhurst, Hurst Green and Oxted) makes regular weekly visits to the school. The children also have opportunities within the planned RE curriculum to visit the church with their teacher, the clergy or a member of the church community.
Monitoring and Involvement
Collective Worship is carefully monitored by the Headteacher, the Foundation governors and pupils. There is a nominated Governor for Collective Worship and RE. The monitoring process is very well developed and actions are communicated to the whole Governing body. Pupils are also highly involved in the monitoring process through Pupil Voice. Their comments and ideas are shared with the staff and incorporated throughout the year.
Worship plans are looked at termly to ensure that they are appropriate, shared with the Rector, and pupils, and parents are also invited to comment on Collective Worship through annual questionnaires and regular meetings with the Headteacher. Feedback from pupil voice, parents and the wider community helps us continually develop and strengthen worship across the school.
