Collective Worship

Collective Worship at BIR

At Bishop Ian Ramsey C of E Primary School, Collective Worship is a wonderful opportunity to share, reflect and explore personal beliefs, issues of identity, and questions of meaning and purpose.

Our Collective Worship makes an important contribution to promoting our children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. It is also a vehicle for supporting inclusion as well as building community cohesion.

Collective Worship is a legal requirement of schools under the 1944 Education Act & was affirmed in subsequent legislation (1988 and 1996). In accordance with the law and the ethos of our school, the majority of acts of Collective Worship reflect the ‘broad traditions of Christian belief’. This does not restrict the focus exclusively to Christianity alone, but will sometimes include material from a range of spiritual, religious and secular contexts.

The children are encouraged to explore ideas arising from the stimulus material presented by staff and visitors and invited to reflect on them from their own perspectives. There is never any intention to impose religious ideas or beliefs on pupils but often the material can raise issues and questions that are relevant to their lives, irrespective of their background.

There will always be a time of quiet when pupils are invited to reflect on the focus of the Worship, with an invitation to those children for whom it is appropriate to make their thoughts into a personal prayer. Sometimes words of traditional prayers are used to support that reflection.

Through Collective Worship at Bishop Ian Ramsey C of E Primary School, our intentions are that:

Children will take part in a form of Collective Worship every day;
Collective Worship will include Bible stories, songs and prayers;
Time will also be provided for silence and reflection;
Themes will relate to Christian values, special days in the Christina calendar, Christian celebrations plus topical themes;
The themes will be put forward in a variety of ways, e.g. through story, drama or discussion;
Whilst the majority of Collective Worship will be Christian based, there will sometimes be a focus or reference to other faiths;
All members of teaching staff are given the opportunity to lead Collective Worship;
Children are given the opportunity to take a plan, deliver and lead Collective Worship through our group of Worship Leaders;
Members of appropriate organisations are invited to share in Collective Worship e.g. Open the Book, local clergy and other organisations.

Through the above, we intend that our children will:

have the opportunity to worship and to develop a relationship with God if they wish to;
develop an understanding of Christian values, where these originate and what these can add to their own life & practice;
develop respect and understanding of the self and of others;
create a sense of belonging and connecting to the world;
develop empathy and community with others;
provide security within which pupils can share their values and beliefs;
provide opportunities to question and reflect;
promote discernment and support pupils in combating prejudice;
encourage a sense of awe and wonder about the world.

At Bishop Ian Ramsey C of E Primary School, we conduct assemblies and Collective Worship in a dignified and respectful manner. We tell children that Collective Worship time is a period of calm reflection. We regard it as a special time and expect children to behave in an appropriate manner. We ask them to be quiet and thoughtful and to listen carefully to the teachings and participate fully in prayer and singing. We create an appropriate atmosphere by using calming music, lighting our Worship Candle, saying our opening and closing prayers and using objects that act as a focal point for the attention of the children on our Worship table at the front of the hall.

Our Weekly Timetable of Collective Worship

We have a clear and consistent weekly timetable of Collective Worship. Please see the document below for this year's Weekly Timetable.

Collective Worship Timetable 2024-25

We enjoy taking part in Collective Worship every Tuesday with 'Open the Book', who bring Bible stories to life through drama. We love to get involved too!

Our Worship Leaders plan, deliver and lead Collective Worship regularly for the whole school to enjoy.

We regularly visit St Mary Magdalene Church in our village to take part in Collective Worship, celebrate special days and events and to learn more about Christianity.