Spirituality

It is very difficult to put into words what ‘spirituality’ is because it is a very personal experience. It differs from person to person, and often spirituality changes within people during their lifetime. Spirituality is not the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith.

We have defined spirituality as:

 “Spirituality is not something we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves. It is about awe and wonder, asking questions, inspiration and being aware of something ‘bigger’ outside of ourselves.”

 When talking to children about spirituality we may use the following:

• A sense of awe and wonder
• Care for nature and living things
• Wanting to love and to be loved by people  

Awe and Wonder

Children are born inquisitive, and it is our duty to nurture this natural curiosity and guide them towards looking at the world and noticing, with awe and wonder, the natural and man-made delights all around us. We want to encourage them to ask ‘big questions’ about life, religion, nature, science and any other area of fascination.

Caring for Nature and Living Things

We provide many opportunities for children to learn about nature and the role they play in protecting our world.  There are opportunities for Forest School sessions where our children are completely at one with nature; searching for minibeasts, creating homes for hedgehogs, examining plants and flowers as well as many, many other exciting things. We have charities within our schools that foster the love of caring for nature and living things and through science and topic work, children learn about the world and how they can care for all things living.  

Love

We are a very caring federation of schools and pride ourselves on our ethos of love, learn and grow together. Through our Christian Values, we teach children to care for friends, family and the community. These Christian values are fostered in the pupils and staff building an ethos where all can flourish.

How is Spirituality Nurtured?

Children’s spiritual development is fostered through all aspects of our schools provision. It is about the relationships and the values that we consider to be important, as well as the development of knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes. We give children opportunities to:

• Express personal beliefs and compare views with others, sharing feelings and opinions through discussions and stories.
• Begin to develop their own system of beliefs which may or may not include religious beliefs.
• Experience a love of learning through rewarding their enthusiasm and by encouraging exploratory play and learning.
• Reflect upon the world around them and show a sense of awe and wonder towards aspects of the natural world or human achievement.
• Reflect on the situations of others through role play, stories.
• Experience a range of stories, music, art, drama and dance.