Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Primary School Collective Worship Policy September 2018 1
Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there with them. Matthew. 18:20 The Nature of Collective Worship Christian worship in a Catholic school names and celebrates God s presence in our lives. It is concerned with giving glory, honour, praise and thanks to God. It is our loving response, in word and action, to God s invitation to enter into relationship, made possible through the work of Jesus Christ and the witness of the Holy Spirit. Creating a sacred place for worship is to create a space where the unity of God and creation are reverently symbolised and celebrated. Worship and the rituals we use should not feel like an interruption from the ordinary circumstances of our lives but rather unite us more closely to them. Worship remembers and celebrates the marvellous things God works in our lives. It celebrates God s presence in our lives. It is a spontaneous response to life. Prayer and worship life of the School As a school, we expect all pupils to take part in acts of daily prayer and worship. This takes the form of: School prayers that are said or sung at particular times of the day (morning, lunchtime, after lunch and end of day). Collective worship in the form of liturgies teacher or pupil led. Assemblies which bring the community together and have a focus linked to RE curriculum or the SMSC/Gospel values of the school Mass or special gathering in the church e.g. the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament or services of reconciliation The act of worship is not designated curriculum time under regulations and will not be included under any part of the curriculum, including religious education. In this school, as with any Voluntary Aided Schools, responsibility for Collective Worship rests with the Governing Body after consultation with the headteacher. The Place of Collective Worship in the Life of our School We endorse the belief that Collective Worship takes into account the religious and educational needs of all who share in it: Those who form part of the worshipping community in church Those for whom school may be their first and only experience of church Those from other Christian traditions or none Those from other faith backgrounds. It will be an educational activity or experience to which all can contribute and from which all can gain. Worship in this school is more than just a legal requirement. It is an integral part of school life and central to the ethos and mission of our school. 2
The Aims of Collective Worship. We believe that Collective Worship in our school aims to provide opportunity for all pupils and staff: To contemplate something of the mystery of God To reflect on spiritual and moral issues To explore their own beliefs To respond to and celebrate life To experience a sense of belonging and develop community spirit To develop a common ethos and shared values To enrich religious experience To grow in liturgical understanding and development To reinforce prayers which are part of the Catholic tradition To reinforce positive attitudes To participate fully To take time out to wonder at, to come to terms with and to give worth to. Principles All Acts of Worship in this school will: Give glory and honour to God Be a quality activity, fundamental to the life of the school and its Catholic character Give children positive liturgical experiences, appropriate to their age, aptitude and family backgrounds in order to prepare them for the liturgical life of the Church. How Collective Worship is organised Prayer Prayer is an integral and important part of the school day and all classes pray together at the beginning and end of the school day and before and after lunch. Children are given opportunities to pray aloud in their own words if they wish and to pray quietly. Traditional prayers are an important part of the faith tradition please see list of prayers below: Morning, before and after lunch and end of day prayers Hail Mary Our Father Glory Be The Creed Teachers are encouraged to send prayers home for children to share with their family and to learn for homework. Eucharistic Celebrations Eucharistic celebrations take place at various times including special times in the school year, feast days and Holy Days and usually take place in Our Lady of Sorrows Church. EYFS pupils do not usually attend, however they do visit the church for liturgy. Classes also prepare and celebrate a Mass in the Church at 3
least once a term (Key Stage 1, Lower Key Stage 2 and Upper Key Stage 2). The children prepare the readings, bidding prayers, hymns and offertory procession. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend. The themes of the Masses relate to the liturgical year, the Saint of the day or other theme suggested by the priest. The Masses are planned in advance for the whole term (RE Coordinator and Parish Priest collaborate). Children in the EYFS prepare a non-eucharistic celebration once a term which also takes place in the Church. These take the form of simple liturgies led by the parish priest and supported by the RE Coordinator. The same general principles will apply to planning a Eucharistic celebration as other acts of school worship, therefore opportunities for children to participate and lead will be maximised. The school has a range of resources to help teachers and clergy plan both Eucharistic and non-eucharistic liturgies for children of various ages. Assemblies Assemblies are an important opportunity for teachers and children to pray and worship together as a community of faith and learning. Assembly times are as follows: Monday 9.10-9.30 Tuesday 9.10-9.30 Wednesday 9.10-9.30 Friday 9.10-9.35 Key Stage 2 assembly Lead by Headteacher Key Stage 1 assembly - Lead by Deputy Headteacher EYFS assembly - Lead by RYFS Coordinator Whole school Golden Assembly Lead by Headteacher/Deputy presented by a class alternate weeks Teachers are required to attend the whole school assembly on a Friday. Classes prepare a whole school assembly twice a year. Each Key Stage also attends hymn practice once a week. Elements of Collective Worship Atmosphere is all-important in creating the right foundation for Collective Worship. Quiet, orderly behaviour and respectful attitudes on entering, leaving and throughout the assembly or Mass are expected. A covered table with flowers /a cross /a bible and a candle help to set the scene. Music is played at the beginning and end of the assembly and is selected each week appropriate to the theme. Pupils attention is drawn to it and a simple explanation/ description may be given in Hymn Practice. Stories and talks are carefully chosen to fulfil the objectives of Collective Worship. Stories of a religious or secular nature may be used whilst personal anecdote from pupils, teachers and visitors is effective in expressing that which is important in our own lives. Particular emphasis is laid upon helping children to understand themselves better, to develop empathy and to face up to moral issues. Songs are chosen from a wide variety of traditional and modern hymns and choruses. One or two are used at each assembly, relative to the theme. Hymns and songs 4
create the opportunity for children to express thoughts and feelings that are difficult to put into words; and they provide a real source of pleasure. Prayer and reflection are the most personal part of an act of worship. Collective Worship in school should provide opportunities for children to be taken to the threshold of prayer, and to cross it if they wish, in a way that respects the integrity of all present. Participation in prayer can never be imposed but we stress the need for stillness, reflection and respect for others. Silence, written prayers, traditional prayers and impromptu prayers may be used. A candle may be lit (note health and safety) and provides a focus for pupils thoughts. Reflection and thinking time are given some direction by the leader in order to concentrate pupils response. Scripture sentences may be quoted from the Bible. Longer passages may be used as readings. Pupils should be encouraged to use references to the bible as chapter and verse. Special Assemblies and Visitors Special assemblies are held for example for Easter Week, Stations of the Cross, Christmas, Advent Service (blessing of the Advent Candles), Harvest and End of the School Year. Parents, Governors and visitors are especially welcome to attend. External speakers, such as representatives from charitable organisations, will lead some assemblies. Regular visitors include representatives from the NSPCC, Help the Aged, CAFOD, Catholic Children s Society, Salvation Army, local food bank. Prayer focus Each class has an area which provides a focus for prayer in the classroom. This area should be changed regularly to reflect the season of the liturgical year, may include the topic being covered or a special saint etc. tables may comprise religious artefacts, prayers, candles, children s work and so on. The Planning, Content and Delivery of Collective Worship Collective Worship/acts of worship are planned with the structure of: gather, Word. Respond and Mission. Each collective worship should have a focus and purpose; Make reference to the Church s liturgical seasons and Come and See curriculum Scripture and reflection should be a focus in acts of worship Be flexible in responding to changing situations within the school and the wider community (e.g. Grenfell) Develop pupils skills that enable them to plan, prepare, organise, lead and evaluate worship Recording Collective Worship is recorded: on a liturgy planner to keep note of themes, leaders, pupil groupings and resources use of pupil led act of worship planning template through displays, collections of pupils contributions, prayers, reflections, photographs, videos etc. 5
Monitoring and Evaluation At least once a year the school s provision of worship will be evaluated to consider whether it meets the needs of all pupils and whether pupils are making progress in acquiring skills and abilities in organising and leading worship. Resources Resources for planning prayer and worship are available in the teachers shared system and are reviewed and updated regularly. Each classroom has a selection of prayer resources suitable to age and the development of the pupils. Voluntary Worship and Retreats The school is keen to encourage voluntary acts of worship. These have included Lenten Cafod lunches, visits to Forrestor Court Care Home to share prayers and seasonal hymns. The school has planned visits to the newly re-sited SPEC as part of our planned retreat days for 2018-19. The Co-ordinator for Collective Worship Roisin O Reilly-Williams is the RE Co-ordinator, a role which includes co-ordinating Collective Worship. The details of this aspect of the RE Co-ordinators role are specified in Appendix 1. Policy Monitoring and Review This policy is monitored by the RE Co-ordinator and is evaluated and reviewed by the whole school staff and governors every two years. The Foundation Governors in particular will play a most important role. 6
Appendix 1 The Collective Worship Co-ordinator has responsibility for managing the worship on a day to day basis, ensuring that all requirements are complied with. The Role of Co-ordinator of Collective Worship is To write the school s policy for Collective Worship in consultation with the head teacher and foundation governors. To ensure that all staff are aware of and use the policy document. To review the policy on a regular basis. To plan an overall balanced programme of worship for the year. To draw up assembly rotas. To involve colleagues, pupils and visitors in worship. To advise on planning, ideas and resources. To be responsible for ordering, maintaining and displaying resources. To administer the budget for Collective Worship. To ensure that Collective Worship maintains a high profile in the School Development Plan. To monitor and evaluate, with others, Collective Worship in all its forms. To report to the head teacher and governors. To maintain a Collective Worship display board in the hall and on the school website page Catholic Life of the School To arrange INSET for staff. To keep up to date with recent publications, attend Diocesan courses and disseminate information and feedback to staff. To liaise with the link governor, parish priest and Diocesan advisor on matters relating to Collective Worship. 7