What Spirituality means to us at

Harrietsham Church of England Primary School

Our Vision is rooted in our school community flourishing in all sense of the word - sowing, growing, and deepening their God given potential, in order ‘that they may have life, and have it to the full.’ (John 10:10).  The development of the whole child, in body, mind and spirit is at the centre of our school purpose.  For us, spirituality is the opening of hearts and minds, through reflection, and the questioning of the world.

Spirituality at Harrietsham opens us to life and to each other through our relationships, individuality and our awareness and wonder beyond our visible world.  

It is a thread which runs through our lives, bringing purpose, identity and belonging and the values by which we live.

Using the image of a ring-doughnut - the two parts, the ‘whole’ representing the person and the inside ‘core’ representing spiritual development; the two parts equally important to form the ‘whole’ - is what we want to achieve through our spiritual growth.  

Teaching approaches used for spirituality

To support everyone’s spiritual development at Harrietsham Church of England Primary School, we use the common language developed by Liz Mills of ‘windows, mirrors, and doors’.  These visuals provide opportunities for questioning and experiences for everyone to reflect outwardly, inwardly, and beyond.

WINDOWS: giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life's 'Wow!s' (things that are amazing) and 'Ow!s' (things that bring us up short). In this, children are learning about life in all its fullness.

We provide WINDOWS throughout our curriculum. Many of our lessons have an awe and wonder focus with a variety of stimuli, including photos, videos, music current events and real-life stories.

MIRRORS: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life's big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this. they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.

There are a range of opportunities within our curriculum and school life that offer a variety of MIRRORS for the children to reflect on the world in different, deeper ways. We ensure that children are able to ask and discuss bigger questions and consider their own ideas and beliefs. Through high-quality RE lessons, children are consistently challenged to reflect on their learning about religion to help them learn from religion, regardless of whether they have a specific faith.

DOORS: giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this, they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value

Children at our school often identify DOORS for themselves. They may hear of a local issue or an international event and request to take action, through fund raising and raising awareness. We also work with the local community through visiting local care homes, litter picking, local fundraising and other activities. Children are encouraged to be courageous advocates of change.

We also use this format of Windows, Mirrors and Doors within our Collective Worship.

How do we nurture Spirituality?

Spirituality is a very personal experience - it differs from person to person, and often spirituality changes within people during their lifetime. Spirituality is not the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith.

Spirituality is something we cannot 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.

Children’s spiritual development is nurtured through all aspects of school life. It is about the relationships and the values that we consider to be important, as well as the development of knowledge, concepts, skills and attitudes.

We give children opportunities to:

• Express personal beliefs and compare views with others, sharing feelings and opinions through discussions and stories.

• Begin to develop their own system of beliefs which may or may not include religious beliefs.

• Experience a love of learning through rewarding their enthusiasm and by encouraging exploratory play and learning.

• Reflect upon the world around them and show a sense of awe and wonder towards aspects of the natural world or human achievement.

• Reflect on the situations of others through role play, stories.

• Experience a range of stories, music, art, drama and dance

The role of our school community:

All members of our school community have a responsibility for helping to nurture children’s spiritual development. 

Our school staff do this through:

• Establishing and maintaining a partnership between pupils, parents and staff; recognising and respecting the faith background of our children and their families;

• Taking part in, and supporting, collective acts of worship;

• Being good role models in their conduct towards other members of the community;

• Promoting an attitude of respect for other people and for others’ views;

• Nurturing consideration for, and generosity towards, others.

• Drawing on the experiences of pupils and their families during religious education lessons and beyond;

• Recognising and being constantly aware of the needs and backgrounds of each individual pupil;

• Being willing to develop their own knowledge and understanding of the Christian faith and the faiths of others;

• Having a positive attitude to the value of spiritual education.

   

Our children do this through:

• Taking an active part in acts of collective worship;

• Participating in activities which promote engagement in, examination of, and reflection upon, religious belief and practice;

• Conducting themselves towards others considerately, in line with our school values;

• Respecting the views and beliefs of others.

   

Our families can help through:

• Adopting a positive attitude to the value of spiritual education;

• Supporting the school’s Christian ethos and acts of community worship, such as assemblies and church services;

• Respecting the views and beliefs of others.