Collective Worship
Collective Worship at St James
“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and enter his gates with praise! Give thanks to him and bless his name!” Psalms 100:4
We participate in an act of Collective Worship every day led by a teacher or a visitor from a local church. Our Collective Worship is central to the life of the school; indeed it is a thread which runs through the lives of our children and staff. Adults and children will often refer to stories or examples used in our Collective Worship when discussing situations or problems they are dealing with.
Each Collective Worship is opened and closed by our Collective Worship Council.
Organisation of Collective Worship
We hold a daily act of collective worship in our school; class teachers attend with their classes. All other adults are welcome to attend also. The Collective Worship plan also includes whole school worship occasions, when all adults attend and parents and carers are invited too.
Children in Nursery and Reception participate in a daily act of collective worship in their classrooms. The children in Reception begin to attend our whole school collective worship weekly after the Christmas holidays.
The Head Teacher and teachers lead collective worship. One day a week representatives from our local churches lead collective worship.
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Friday
Collective worship is held at 09:40 am and lasts approximately 20 minutes.
Wednesday
Collective worship is in class which lasts approximately 20 minutes during which the class teacher leads worship.
Thursday:
On a Thursday Reverend Harry joins us and songs are learned, practised and sung. The worship is supported by the Collective Worship Councillors who open the collective worship by reading a verse from the bible referencing the joy and value of praise singing.
Friday
Celebration Collective Worship is lead by the Head Teacher the whole school attend.
Collective Worship is held at 14:45 for children for the whole school. Children from each year group are chosen to receive a star of the week award linked to our 5 ways of being.
Parents/carers of children receiving awards are invited to attend. A hymn is sung and the worship closes with the school prayer.
Common routines of Collective Worship
- Opened with sharing the peace
- A focus Bible verse or inspirational quotation for the week
- Music
- A hymn or spiritual song. Hymns are chosen to include:
- those designed for children with simple theology
- traditional hymns from the Anglican tradition; and
- choruses / worship songs which promote spirituality and devotion
- A story / drama / activity
- Time for reflection on the message of the collective worship
- The lighting of a candle and the use of words to explain the presence of the Holy Spirit during collective worship, ‘Christians believe Jesus is the light of the world. We light this candle to remind us that the Holy Spirit is with us in all that we do.’
- Prayers
- The Lord’s Prayer and the Grace are taught to children as well as responses from the Anglican Service Book
- Children are encouraged to offer their own prayers#
Collective Worship Council
School has a collective worship council comprising of children from years 3 to 6. Each day, members of the Council welcome everyone to, lead and conclude our Collective Worship.
They also review how collective worship is delivered in school, visit other schools to learn from their practice and bring back their observations. The council are also responsible for the delivery of one complete session of collective worship each half term.
The Collective Worship Council also maintain a display board in a prominent position in the school.
Church visitors
A representative from a local Christian organisation with lead a Collective Worship each week, following guidance given from the Headteacher. These representatives lead the Collective Worship based on the themes from our annual Collective Worship timetable. The themes are below:
Values through assemblies St James
