Board of Education Monitoring the Effectiveness of Collective Worship

Transcription

1 Board of Education Monitoring the Effectiveness of Collective Worship Guidance for Church Schools and Academies Taking Account of the 2013 Church School SIAMS Inspection Schedule 1

2 Guidance on Monitoring the Impact of Collective Worship in Church Schools and Academies. Introduction In Church Schools we aim to offer vibrant, creative and inclusive worship as part of the Christian distinctiveness of the school; Collective Worship gives the whole school community a unique opportunity to come together, to share in prayer and praise and to be inspired by God`s love, particularly as shown in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (See Appendix One) Collective Worship contributes to the spiritual development of the children and young people and provides a space for deeper thinking and reflection. Legal Position Collective Worship is a legal requirement in all maintained schools and should take place every school day. In maintained community schools the act of worship shall be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character (1988 Education Act). However in church schools and church academies the act of worship should be distinctive of the school s Christian character and in line with the School`s Trust Deed or Academy Agreement. In a Church School and a Church Academy, Collective Worship is inspected at least every 5 years through the Statutory Inspection of Church Schools. (SIAMS/Section 48), so it is important that the impact of Collective Worship on the school community is carefully monitored and evaluated by the school s leadership including the governing body. Pause for Reflection SO what is Collective worship? And why do we do it? 2

3 The National Society Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) From April 2013 the SIAMS inspection framework will be looking at evidence to evaluate the question What is the impact of Collective Worship on the (whole) school community? There are significant changes in this 2013 framework from the previous SIAS framework, so that when judging collective worship inspectors will now evaluate the following; The extent to which collective worship is distinctively Christian and central to the life of the school community. How well collective worship enables the participants to develop an understanding of Jesus Christ and of the Christian understanding of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (The Trinity). How well collective worship sets the distinctive values of the school in their Christian context. How well the school community, learners and adults, values and engages with collective worship. The extent to which collective worship is relevant to, and makes a difference to the lives of all members of the school community. How well collective worship develops personal spirituality within the school community through a range of experiences. How effectively the school community is involved in the planning, leadership and evaluation of collective worship. The extent to which opportunities for prayer contribute to the spiritual development of members of the school community. (Also see Appendix Three Supporting Evidence and the full 2013 evaluation framework is now on The National Society website.) The Schools` Systematic Monitoring of Collective Worship Systematic monitoring is essential to the self-evaluation process for SIAMS and should be in line with the schools` system for whole school selfevaluation. It can best be put in place by ensuring that there is a governor for collective worship who undertakes Diocesan training, meets regularly with the schools` head and/or collective worship co-ordinator and attends worship regularly. It will be strengthened by a small group of governors being delegated within specific terms of reference for the task of monitoring the impact of collective worship who will then report back formally to the whole governing body. 3

4 The Key Documentation The School Development Plan (SDP) Does collective worship have an identified place within the SDP or is this covered by a separate plan for church school issues? Collective Worship Policy How often is this reviewed and by whom? Previous SIAMS Report. What did the previous inspection report say about collective worship? Was there a focus for development on collective worship to be addressed? Detailed Plan of Worship- including evaluations of the impact of worship. Who is involved in developing the plan? The SIAMS self-evaluation document, completed in conjunction with staff and governors which can demonstrate an evaluation of the impact of collective worship. Whole School Monitoring of Collective Worship (CW) by Governors This will be most effective when Governors 1. Discuss these questions with Head Teacher/Worship coordinator/representative of Local Church(s) How is the CW planned? How is it`s planning recorded? How are acts of worship evaluated? How are the children s views of CW collected, analysed, and acted upon? What resources are available for worship? How are the resources used and are they of good quality? How clear and useful is the policy for CW? When was it last updated? In what ways are the needs of learners taken into account including those in vulnerable groups such as SEN and FSM? How are the needs of other faiths, or of none, taken into account? Have staff who lead worship attended Diocesan training on CW? How is this conveyed to other staff in school? How developed are the school s links with the clergy and the local church in relation to school worship? Have clergy and other speakers attended Diocesan training on CW? And so...what are the areas for future development? (In considering future development, see some examples of CW resources in Appendix Two Resources for Vibrant and Inclusive Collective Worship ) 4

5 2. Listen to Pupils Suggested questions to use with pupils What is good about school worship? Can you tell me about an act of worship you especially enjoyed? Can you tell me about an act of worship that has made you think and/or do something in a different way? What do you think CW is for? (What is its purpose?) How do you take part in CW? Can you describe any other religious festivals you learn about in CW? What is prayer? Which prayers do you remember and why? What bible stories do you remember from CW? What festivals of the church year do you remember from CW? What are your favourite worship songs and why do you like them? Is there anything you do not like about CW? And so...how could collective worship be even better? 3. Listen to Staff How important is the contribution of collective worship to the church schools` ethos? How has school worship had an impact on your own thinking about being part of a church school community? 4. Listen to Parents How important is it that your child takes part in Christian acts of worship at school? Does your child ever talk at home about school worship? If you have attended an act of worship what impact did this have on you? (The SIAMS framework uses the phrase collective worship but children, staff and parents may be used to talking about the worship as assembly and provided we and they mean the worship part of school assembly that seems fine.) The Governor Observation of Acts of Worship For the governors` observation of collective worship, it would be helpful to observe a variety of acts of worship throughout the year on different days of the week, led by different people and try to observe some classroom worship if this takes place. In the observation it is important to focus on the response of the children, considering the impact of the worship on the different ages present. After the worship, talk with the person who has led the worship and talk with some of the children. 5

6 When observing an act of worship Governors should focus on Observing the Impact of the worship particularly in relation to; Church School Distinctiveness; How well collective worship enables the participants to develop an understanding of Jesus Christ and the Christian understanding of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit; through the use of the bible, Christian prayers and songs, following the cycle of the church year and the Sunday lectionary readings, using child friendly liturgy and appropriate symbolism. The Pupils` capacity for Attending, Reflecting and Connecting. Being silent and reflecting Showing reverence and respect Listening to the worship leader and to each other Enjoying the worship Participating by asking questions and responding Being affirmed in what they know and understand Connecting worship with their lives and the wider world Participation and Inclusion Ways in which the children are contributing to the worship through leading aspects of the worship, asking questions and using ICT. How the worship is appropriate for all children and adults whatever their faith or none so that everyone is valued and shown respect. ICT is used effectively. How respect is shown to other faith traditions. And Evidence can also be gathered through; Regular questionnaires of pupils, parents and staff A Guest book strategically placed so parents or visitors can comment on an aspect of or a whole worship seen. The ways in which worship is extended into the life of the school, for example areas for reflection around the school and in the classrooms. Recording and Reporting Governors should write up an objective report on their visit to an act of worship which should be reported back to the Governing body to inform the monitoring and evaluation of the impact of Collective Worship. The report should be in line with the protocol for all Governor visits in school. Minutes of Governor Committee meetings should record evidence of Governor monitoring and show the ways in which Governors are impacting on church school development. And so... as a result of our self-evaluation what areas have been highlighted for future development? What action has been taken? How effective has this been? How have we been able to measure what difference our action has made? 6

7 Appendix One John Cox More Than Caring and Sharing Making a Church School Distinctive Kevin Mayhew 2011 Pages ; The Impact of Collective Worship Church schools are expected to do much more than simply meet the legal requirements. Inspectors want to see not only evidence that there are regular acts of collective worship but, more significantly, that these have a positive impact upon the whole life of the school community and on its witness to the community beyond the school. The acts of worship themselves should be well planned, imaginative and inspiring, ensuring learner participation. Responses from all who attend should be positive. While collective worship should be clearly Christian, in Church of England schools drawing especially upon the resources of the Anglican tradition from across the world, it should also be sensitive to the different cultural and faith backgrounds of all pupils and students. Each should find the worship supportive of their spiritual development. Elements from across the curriculum should be drawn upon in the worship, which in turn should impact upon various areas of the curriculum. There should be evidence of good relations with the local church, parish and clergy. Where there are celebrations of the Eucharist, inspectors will want to see how far learners are involved and how they respond to the experience. It is reasonable to expect students from a church school to know the Lord`s Prayer and to be aware of the seasons and major festivals in the Church`s calendar. The level of staff attendance at and involvement in the acts of worship is one of the clear indicators of how seriously a school takes collective worship 7

8 Appendix Two Vibrant and Inclusive Collective Worship Resources Programmes and Schemes of Worship Values for Life and Jumping Fish The National Society Written Resources For Worship Spiritual and Reflective Thinking Jill Fuller at Kevin Mayhew Gazing In Wonder KS1 Looking Beyond KS2 and Dreams and Visions KS3 Don`t Just Do Something, Sit There! Mary Stone (RMEP) Anglican Liturgy and The Church Year More Assemblies For Primary Schools Margaret Cooling KS1&2 (RMEP) The Liturgy of the Word With Children Katie Thompson (Kevin Mayhew Ltd) Roots; Children and Young People (Churches Ltd) Bibles and Bible Stories Bible Stories For Classroom and Assembly Jack Priestley (RMEP). A re-telling of bible stories. KS 1,2&3 Old and New Testament editions. The Book of Books Trevor Dennis. The Bible Retold. KS1,2&3 (Lion). The Alan Dale Bible Combining Winding Quest and New World Kevin Mayhew 2002 Lives of Famous Christians Clare Richards Christians Who Changed The World & Heroes of The Christian Faith. KS1&2 (Kevin Mayhew Publishers.) Further Resources For RE and Collective Worship Barnabas In Schools SHAP Working Party On World Religion. Annual calendar of Festivals and a booklet of articles on teaching about Christianity and Other Religions. (Tel : ) RMEP (RE and Collective Worship Resources) Articles of Faith (Artifacts, Videos etc) Encounter Christianity RE and Collective Worship for KS One & Two USPG The Christ We Share and Born Among Us Picturing Jesus RE Today Services Godly Play The Biblos Project A Gift to the Child (See above Articles of Faith) Spirited Poetry (See RMEP above) Further Reading Growing Up with God; Using Stories to Explore a Child`s Faith and Life. Nancy Cocks The Spirit of the Child David Hay and Rebecca Nye 8

9 Recommended Websites for Collective Worship The National Society Website The Culham Institutue Good for the Church Year The Assemblies Website Very good for reflections Magnet Meditation PDF Files Click on shop Christian Assemblies The Church Lectionary The Stapleford Centre Redbridge Mainly for RE and Cultural Diversity The RE Site Excellent links for Collective Worship. Superb for RE Request Mainly for RE. RE Today Space for Reflection - needs a password from an RE Today subscription SMSC On Line Spirited Arts Ely Diocese Recommended especially for planning and review of policies and using the Church Lectionary Diaries of Reflection Blackburn Diocese Some good model acts of worship, particularly on the Church Year De La Salle Brothers Check out the Education section links. Music For Worship Development Issues World Faiths A truly outstanding site for RE Stories from Faith Traditions A new and developing archive of short stories with a religious theme. The Environment Acts of worship linking faith and the environment Photographic Images A new and developing site of glorious images of our amazing world that are not under copyright. Paintings Stunning African images of the life of Jesus. The education section links you to the zoom lens to see closer detail of many of the galleries incredible paintings. Includes accessible images not all under copyright. Register here for wide selection of artists. Pre-1850 European painting not under copyright. Philosophy and Thinking Skills Communities of Enquiry. The News that is Positive 9

10 The Wonder of Our Cosmos Childrens Spirituality Further details contact Rev d Philip Davies Tel : p.j.davies@tesco.net Visit the Resource Room at Bouverie Court, Peterborough Diocesan website 10

11 Appendix Three SIAMS Schedule 2013 Supporting Evidence The schedule states that inspectors may take account of the following 1. The central attributes of collective worship and to what extent they; Develop the Christian vision and ethos of the school and contribute to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of participants. Ensure worship is relevant to the life experience of the whole school community. Ensure worship is engaging, inspiring and transformative. Provide opportunities to understand and to celebrate the religious festivals in the Church`s year. 2. The theological basis of collective worship and the extent to which it; Reflects local Anglican traditions and practices, including the Eucharist/Communion where appropriate. Contributes to learners` understanding of Christian theological concepts and beliefs at an appropriate level. Reflects the Trinitarian nature of Christianity. Gives the Bible a significant place in worship. 3. The key elements of an act of worship and the extent to which; The gathering for worship is enhanced by, for example music, action or symbols and by those leading the worship. The engagement and encouragement of participants is grounded in distinctively Christian teaching. Participants respond in, for example, praise, the use of silence, songs, guided reflection, prayer and also through their actions. Those who lead worship provide an appropriate conclusion to the act of worship. 4. The leadership and management of worship and the extent to which Worship is planned systematically so that there is continuity, variety and clear focus on Christian beliefs and festivals. Monitoring, evaluation and planning involves the whole school community and results in improvement. Leaders ensure worship is creative, alive and cohesive. Worship is inclusive, rooted in the Christian faith, but accessible to all members of the school community whatever their religious background or stage of development. Learners regularly encounter a range of leaders, including learners themselves. 5. The centrality of prayer and the extent to which Learners understand the nature and purpose of prayer. Learners understand the part it may play within an individual`s life and in the life of the worshipping community. Prayer contributes to the spiritual development of the whole school community. Appropriate opportunities are provided for prayer and other worship activities, such as Christian reflection outside collective worship. 11

12 12