Spirituality at Clapham and Patching
The Church of England's Vision for Education states a core desire that children will experience life in all its fullness (John 10:10). At Clapham and Patching CofE Primary School, we believe that we need to give all our children the chance to allow them to grow into the people God is calling them to be.
This is reflected directly in our school vision:
We believe that a happy child is a successful one. Our vision is for our children to be confident, creative, kind and responsible individuals who, aspire to achieve their full potential with God. We do this by providing a welcoming, happy, safe and supportive learning environment, in which everyone is equal, can flourish and all achievements are celebrated.
We ‘Learn, Love and Flourish with God’.
And rooted in the parable that we believe represents our tiny school:
‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’
We believe that we can explore Spirituality by educating the whole child, providing full life experiences to meet this desire, which includes immersion in the creative subjects.
Our definition of Spirituality is that it is an ongoing, reflective journey. It is something that teaches us about questioning, understanding and relationships: relationships with ourselves, others, the world and beyond.
Spirituality enables our children to be happy, flourish, succeed and live life in all its fullness.
The four elements of Spirituality:
Spirituality looks to explore our relationships and connections. These are relationships with:
- Ourselves
- Others
- The World
- Beyond
Nuturing and developing Spirituality:
The children encounter a range of opportunities to develop their own spiritual journey. These opportunities are raised throughout the curriculum in order to educate the whole child. We aim to teach the children to reflect on and consider their own actions in a number of different ways:
Look Up (Head):
Look up with expressions of praise and thanksgiving, to the one who created you.
Reflect:
On our place in the world and acknowledge that we were all created to be special.
Look In (Heart):
Look in to reflect on our own feelings, learning and experiences.
Learn:
From our mistakes and be proud of what we have achieved.
Look Out (Hands):
Look out to the world around you in new ways.
Respond to the feelings and situations of others and put our school values into action
Spirituality in Collective Worship:
Collective Worship provides the opportunity for our school community to share experiences, ideas and understanding. It is the context in which the language of spirituality, which we use as a school, is regularly and explicitly shared.
Spirituality in Religious Education:
The Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement outlines the aims and expectations for Religious Education in Church of England Schools and guides this school’s approach to RE and spirituality.
Learning activities in RE provide for the needs of all pupils, offering a safe space to explore their own religious, spiritual and/or philosophical ways of seeing, living and thinking, believing and belonging. They provide opportunities to engage in meaningful and informed dialogue with those of all religions and worldviews, linking these to pupils’ ideas of spirituality Spirituality within the Curriculum.
The Clapham and Patching Christian vision is a driver for the design of our curriculum and impacts on pupils' spiritual growth. Drawing on the language, conversations around spirituality these are included in classroom teaching when appropriate from Reception to Year 6.
Spirituality within the Ethos of the Daily Life of the School:
At Clapham and Patching CofE Primary School we view spiritual growth as becoming more and more aware of one’s natural, innate spirituality. These opportunities happen throughout each and every day as our pupils develop as children and Christians.
