Collective Worship
At Markington School we gather together every day in an act of worship. This is a valued part of our school day.
We have a Christian Value central to our worship for each half term and work alongside our vicar, Rev Paul Harford, to deliver acts of worship that are 'invitational, reflective and engaging. There is plenty of flexibility in the provision of collective worship to enable all pupils to benefit without compromising their beliefs - whatever their religion.
Our Collective Worship has a familiar 'rythmn' and we:
welcome everyone with the words: 'God is love, All the time,
All the time, God is love'
and use these words to end our worship: 'Go in joy, Go in peace, Go in love, Amen'
We also have a small number of musical pieces as we enter and leave, which expose children to a rich and diverse selection of different music from around the world, linked to the DFE model music curriculum. These are a selction of modern, instrumental/ orchestral and music from around the world, and their diversity is celebrated. We also have weekly hymn practice with a selection of familiar favourites and new songs.
Collective worship gives pupils and school staff the opportunity to:
- Engage in an act of community.
- Express praise and thanksgiving to God.
- Be still and reflect.
- Explore the big questions of life and respond to national events.
- Foster respect and deepen spiritual awareness.
- Reflect on the character of God and on the teachings of Christ.
- Affirm Christian values and attitudes.
- Share each other's joys and challenges.
- Celebrate special times in the Christian calendar.' (Church of England Guidance for Collective Worship 2021)
The Christian Values we explore in our collective worship, are carefully woven into our school ethos, with children asked to reflect on their meaning or how these christian values can help us in the choices we make.
E.g. in our behaviour, in our discussions, in the way we interact with each other - and across the curriculum.
On Fridays we gather as a community (with parents if we can) for our celebration collective worship, and we enjoy sharing the children's achievements, just before hometime. It's a lovely way to start the weekend!
Collective Worship Christian Values
We use the 'Values for Life' resources as the basis for the themes for worship, and work on a rolling programme, with a focus on a differnt value each half term.
We use high-quality texts (religious and non-religious) as an integral part of our Collective Worship, and like Jesus, often use a story to illustrate a message.
Dear God,
We thank you for giving us this world and we are deeply sorry for destroying your dear creation.
Please help all the Ukrainians and restore the peace to our world.
I hope only the best for your people and yourself, so please bless us and give us the opportunity to set ourselves free from the craving for money and power.
Deliver us from greed.
Amen
Alanna Y6
We used the book of John Lennon's song 'Imagine' recently to think about Justice in the world. This enabled the children to talk about their feeling about the situation in the Ukraine, in a safe environment.
We asked the children to 'Imagine' a world where there was JUSTICE for all and describe what it would be like...
'No-one would be homeless' - Y5
'Everyone would be grateful' - reception
'Everyone would belong to the same 'club'' - Y4
'There would be no nuclear weapons and no war' - Y5
.jpg?width=320&height=240&scale=LIMIT_MAXSIZE "CHildren ind prayer (1)")
.jpg?width=320&height=240&scale=LIMIT_MAXSIZE "CHildren ind prayer (3)")
.jpg?width=320&height=240&scale=LIMIT_MAXSIZE "CW Bible Boookcase 25.1 (5)")
.jpg?width=320&height=240&scale=LIMIT_MAXSIZE "Singing Zaccheus sign language (1)")
Christian Value 'Service'. We remembered the people who served for their country on Remembrance Day and Liam (who is our school council reporter) wrote this for our school newsletter...
Worship at Michael's Church
Rev Paul leads our collective worship on a regualr basis, sometimes in school, and sometimes in church.
This week he asked the children to reflect on what it means to 'be a king', as the church prepares for the start of Advent, which follows 'Christ the King Sunday'.
The children loved using items from around the church to illustrate their ideas of what 'kings' have - 'riches', 'fancy clothes', 'guards' and 'princesses with fancy shoes'...before considering Jesus as the 'King of Man', 'King of the Jews', 'King of Israel' and 'King of Kings'...and whether he had all these 'fancy' things.
'If generosity is done properly, it will be like a circle which never ends, with people always giving, then getting help when they need it.' Y6