Collective Worship

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord – Psalm 150:6

To enable our children to flourish we want St Mary’s Church of England School to be at the centre
of its community. Worship is an important part of our school’s life as it gives us the opportunity to
celebrate, as well as encouraging our pupils to think about their place in the world, through
Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural development. We will not shy away from our responsibilities in
enabling children to think deeply about themselves, the world in which they live and the place that
faith has in our society. Collective Worship is one aspect of the school day in which we can
nurture creative thinkers.

Importantly, we want our children to develop their sense of spirituality, waiting, watching and
wondering about the world around them, about faith and exploring their own beliefs.

The structure in our worship is gathering, engaging, responding and sending to enable the
fulfilment of the above aims.

Worship is not restricted to our regular and daily collective worship times. We take time on residentials to reflect, opportunities to celebrate at key festivals such as Harvest, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Pentecost etc. Our school collective worship is a special time where we come together as a community to wait, watch, and wonder, pausing from the busyness of the day to focus on what is most meaningful. We worship creatively and expressively, using stories, music, and craft to explore faith in ways that spark imagination and joy. At the same time, we worship reflectively, taking moments of quiet to think deeply, to pray, and to listen for God’s voice. Through prayer, praise, worship, and creative activities, we share in a sense of belonging and celebration, drawing closer to God and to one another. We want every child to flourish, and collective worship is an important part of this journey, helping them to grow in faith, confidence, and character.

Our worship leaders support, plan and contribute significantly to our collective worship.

Would you like to learn some of the words to our Praise and Worship Songs?