Spirituality at Abbey School
Expressing and putting into words what spirituality actually can be difficult, as it is a uniquely personal experience and differs from person to person and can change throughout a lifetime.
Spirituality is not the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith.
As a school community, we have defined spirituality as:
Something we feel outside of ourselves.
It is about an awareness of the world, asking questions, looking out and being inspired by the wonder of life in all its fullness.
At Abbey School the pupils are able to ask and answer big questions; discuss, reflect and develop their ideas through our school Christian values, our curriculum and our personal relationships.
It is our aim to provide a school context in which staff, pupils and parents can develop:
A sense of awe and wonder through reflecting on and studying science, nature, art and music.
Be inspired by finding out about people who are truly amazing.
Connect with each other through love and mutual respect.
Reflect on our experiences and look inside ourselves.
Offer support to one another when facing new challenges or when moving on to new situations.
Windows, Mirrors, Doors
Windows: Giving opportunities to look out on the world to gaze and wonder – the Wow and Aw moments – the things we find amazing and bring us up short.
Encounter: The learning about life
Mirrors: Giving opportunities for children to reflect and look inward to consider some of the big questions of life – to explore their own insights and those of others. Reflection: The learning from life
Doors: Giving opportunities to children to respond, to do something to go through the door of a creative expression of their own thoughts and convictions.
Transformation: The learning to live by putting into action what they believe
The concept of the Spiritual Ring Doughnut, by Liz Mills shows that:
The Doughnut represents the Whole Child. The outer ring is the tangible (Mind and Body), the hole represents the intangible (Spirit) but if there was no hole it wouldn’t be a doughnut. This remains perhaps the best definition of spiritual development; it is the exploration and development of that hole in our centre that makes us whole.
Spirituality in Collective Worship
Collective Worship is at the heart of our school. It provides an opportunity for our school community to come together and 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. It starts every day reminding us of our Christian Values and how we can make the day the best it can be.
Collective Worship provides the opportunity for pupils to become aware of the importance of reflection and how our positive and negative experiences can be formative. It also provides a real sense of being present which are often linked to invitations to pray. Through daily Collective Worship, pupils are offered a space and a place for hearing the Christian story. They are offered an understanding of worship by being invited to participate in, or observe, Christian spiritual practices such as: prayer, reading and reflection on the Bible and liturgy. Opportunities to reflect on the values of life such as courage and honesty in the world are given.
Pupils are given time to consider their responsibilities to others and to grow in love and service. Time is given for celebration, both for the accomplishments of school members and to mark seasonal Christian festivals. In this way pupils are offered time to be able to contemplate and develop spiritually. Collective Worship at Henley is invitational, inspirational and inclusive.
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. For further details, please refer to Henley Religious Education Policy, The Church of England’s Statement of Entitlement and our Collective Worship policy.