What Is Spirituality?
It is very difficult to put into words what ‘spirituality’ actually is because it is a very personal experience. It differs from person to person, and often spirituality changes within people during their lifetime.
“Spirituality is not something we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves. It is about awe and wonder, asking questions, inspiration and being aware of something ‘bigger’ outside of ourselves.”
As a church school we are concerned with the development of people’s mind, body and soul. We believe that spirituality should influence all areas of education and life, therefore we aim that all areas of the curriculum contribute to pupils’ spiritual development. Spiritual development relates to fundamental questions about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone, and is not dependent on a religious affiliation.
Spiritual development is not about becoming, more spiritual, it is about realising or becoming more and more aware of one’s natural, innate spirituality. This is sometimes a slow and gradual process, at other times there might be significant stages of realisation, which are part of the ongoing ‘developing’ process. People don’t reach a finished state of spiritual development, but participate in the ongoing process of spiritual realisation.
We use spiritual capacities to help us understand and plan ways in which children may develop spiritually. These are not a tick list. All spiritual capacities are likely to be developed a number of times during the year by each year group. We recognise, however, that there is a progression in the depth of reflection as children move through the school.
When talking to children about spirituality, we may simplify our language to focus on:
- A sense of awe and wonder
- Care for nature and living things
- Wanting to love and to be loved by people
Awe And Wonder
Children are born inquisitive, and it is our duty to nurture this natural curiosity and guide them towards looking at the world and noticing, with awe and wonder, the natural and man-made delights all around us. We want to encourage them to ask ‘big questions’ about life, religion, nature, science and any other area of fascination.
Caring For Nature And Living Things
We provide many opportunities for children to learn about nature and the role they play in protecting our world. As a Church School, this is especially important. The children explore the wonders of our Forest School. Through science, humanities, and forest school, children learn about the world and how they can care for living things.
Love
We are a very caring school and pride ourselves on our ethos of family. Through our Christian Values, we teach children to care for friends, family and the community. Our RE curriculum includes learning about those we love and who love us. We also offer other family events throughout the school year so children can learn and share learning with their family in school.