At Great Chesterford C. of E. Primary Academy, our Collective Worship Policy strengthens and supports the Christian ethos of the school, explores our vision of ‘Together we are great’ and the associated values we derive from them: God’s Guidance, Respect One Another, Excellent Behaviour, Aiming High and Tremendous Teamwork. Our worship reflects the variety of traditions found in the Church of England and will recognise and follow the Christian Liturgical year.
Worship at Great Chesterford C of E Primary Academy is not simply a statutory duty. The daily Christian act of collective worship is the heartbeat of our school, central to our ethos and is supported by all staff and governors. It makes an important contribution to the overall spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the whole school community.
We celebrate and consider significant events, festivals and faith days in a fully inclusive way. At Great Chesterford C of E Primary Academy, collective worship is:
- Invitational, offering everyone the opportunity to engage in the act of worship, whilst allowing the freedom for those of other faiths and none to be present with integrity.
- Inspiring and creative, impacting the whole community and motivating them into action to be courageous advocates
- Inclusive, where all are welcomed, have a voice and are listened to
Collective Worship Structure:
Everyday, we gather together for worship. The structure incorporates aspects of Anglican liturgy to create a common framework for worship e.g. gather, engage, respond, send.
- Gather: Entrance music is played then, a shared greeting is read, followed by the lighting of the candle to invite God’s presence into the worship.
- Engage: A hymn is sung that relates to the chosen focus of the worship. Big Questions are used to provoke discussion and biblical scripture and teachings linked to the theme is shared.
- Respond: A period of reflection is offered as an opportunity for contemplation, consideration of feelings and beliefs with question and discussion prompts.
- Send: Closing thoughts are shared and reflection is encouraged followed by a prayer and a sending. The candle is extinguished to mark the close of Worship.
