Collective Worship

At Little Gonerby Church of England Primary Academy, Collective Worship is at the heart of our school community. It is a valued and integral part of daily life that reflects our distinctively Christian character and supports every child on their spiritual journey.

Collective Worship provides a daily opportunity for our school family to come together to:

• Celebrate our Christian values – including compassion, respect, courage, and honesty

• Reflect on moral and spiritual themes rooted in Christian teaching

• Encourage awe, wonder, and gratitude for the world around us

• Foster a sense of belonging and shared identity

• Support children’s spiritual development, regardless of faith background

Collective Worship at Little Gonerby nurtures not only spiritual development but also a deep sense of community, compassion, and purpose. It supports our vision that every child will "live life in all its fullness” (John 10:10).

As a Church of England school, our worship draws inspiration from the Bible, the teachings of Jesus, and the rhythms of the Christian calendar. We use well-known, high-quality resoiurces to support our delivery of Collective Worships, including Roots & Fruits. Children are invited to explore Christian festivals such as Advent, Christmas and Easter, as well as key themes such as responsibility, forgiveness and service. We are proud of our strong partnership with St. Wulfram’s Church, and clergy and church members regularly lead worship and share in school celebrations.

Our Collective Worship is planned with all children in mind:

• Inclusive: While our worship is distinctively Christian, it is welcoming and respectful of all worldviews. We create a space where children of all faiths and none can feel respected, safe, and engaged.

• Inspiring: Worship often includes music, storytelling, prayer, drama, art, and reflection. Children are encouraged to think, question, and contribute.

• Invitational: Children play an active role in leading worship – choosing music, reading prayers, acting out stories, or sharing reflections. This develops confidence, responsibility, and a deeper sense of ownership. Giving children time to reflect and respond is key to developing the children's Christian character.

Our worship pattern typically includes:

• Monday: Whole school worship led by the Senior Leadership Team or visiting faith leaders - sharing the values or Biblical story for the week.

• Tuesday: Class-based worship tailored to age and context, using Picture News.

• Wednesday: Praise worship, involving singing, praying, enjoying the gift of our voices.

• Thursday: Whole school worship led by members of St Wulfram's clergy.

• Friday: Celebration worship, where we give thanks for the week, recognise achievements, and reinforce our values

• Seasonal services at St. Wulfram’s Church, such as Harvest,  Christingle, Christmas, and Easter.

Intent

Worship at Little Gonerby is inclusive, invitational and inspiring and is an expression of the school’s Christian vision. It provides the opportunity to experience what it is to live in a community that celebrates the Christian faith, offering a tangible, memorable, experience of an active and loved relationship with God.
 For us, worship is the ‘heartbeat’ of the school day. It is a place where there is welcome and hospitality, encouragement and comfort, trust and understanding. 
 We aim to develop spirituality and a sense of meaning and mystery in everyone.
 School life is distinctly Christian within a broader spirituality, which encompasses all faiths represented in our community, and where respect and love for one another is a core aspect of our school family.
 We also aim to ensure our worships:
 Offer the opportunity, without compulsion, to all pupils and adults to grow spiritually through experiences of prayer, stillness, worship and reflection.
 
Enable all pupils and adults to appreciate that Christians worship in different ways, for example using music, silence, story, prayer, reflection, the varied liturgical and other traditions of Anglican worship, festivals and, where appropriate, the Eucharist. 
Helps pupils and adults to appreciate the relevance of faith in today’s world, to encounter the teachings of Jesus and the Bible and to develop their understanding of the Christian belief in the trinitarian nature of God and its language. 
Enable pupils as well as adults to engage in the planning, leading and evaluation of collective worship in ways that lead to improving practice.  
Encourage local church community partnerships to support the school effectively in developing its provision for collective worship.

Implementation

Collective worship is planned by the Collective Worship lead and is implemented and overseen by our Head Teacher, Assistant Head Teacher, external worship leaders and the team at St. Wulfram’s Church.
Collective worship takes place every day - this will always be Christian in nature and follow a different theme each half term
Our school plans systematically and cohesively using Roots and Fruits which is adapted and changed to meet the needs of our community. This ensures there is a shared understanding of the long and short term planning of worship and enables continuity. 
We are mindful of the variation in personal spiritual styles and provide a range of creative opportunities including (e.g. music, silence, symbolism, drama, use of IT).
 Our worship consists of 4 stages:
Gather (We welcome the community with music, liturgy and the lighting of a candle)
Engage (We share a bible reading, followed by an activity to engage pupils with the Christian message)
Respond (Pupils discuss, share, reflect, pray or sing)
Send (We share the message of the worship again and ask pupils to think about how they will affect their day / learning/ behaviour. We close with liturgy, final prayer, music and the blowing out of our special candle (turn off).)
We also provide opportunities for invitational prayer in school, including in the classroom and in collective worship and Opportunities for invitational prayer and reflection in various prayer spaces around the school.
 

Impact

Children will  feel valued and special as a result of the excellent relationships within the school, which are based on the Christian values of respect, honesty and compassion.

Children’s confidence to express their thoughts and opinions are due to the secure and accepting ethos of worship being inclusive to all.

Children are respectful of one another and know that their views are listened to and acted upon appropriately. Pupils know that what they say will be valued by both peers and adults. 

The whole school community is involved in developing the Christian ethos.

The warm welcome given to visitors is a strong feature of the school’s distinctive character. 

Children have many opportunities to learn to become responsible citizens. They help with the day to day running of their classrooms and in many other ways, such as members of the worship team, school councillors and playground buddies in the playground. 

The school's values are evident to all visitors and children. Wall displays and interactive reflective areas are used regularly by the children, who are proud to describe their importance. 

Children's understanding and participation in collective worship ensures a firm foundation of teaching Christian values in their lives and so makes an excellent contribution to their personal development. 

It is clear that worship inspires and encourages pupils and adults alike and staff would benefit from opportunities for times of quiet reflection for themselves.