Collective Worship & SIAMS
SMSC
SIAMs Inspection Report and School Prayers
| SIAMS Inspection September 2024.pdf | School_prayer1.pdf | School_prayer2.pdf |
Collective Worship is a central point in the day when the whole school pauses and reflects. Staff and pupils come together to nurture their own spiritual and personal growth and to come together as a school community. It is distinctively Christian, reflecting our vision and allowing us to explore our Christian values and consider ways we can put them into action in our daily lives. Worship gives us an opportunity to feel closer to God and to be able to talk to him through prayer, scripture and song. We aim that our worship gives us the chance to reflect on our own behaviour and to think about how we might do something different in the future.
We offer opportunities to share our worship with parents, governors and members of the local community through our church services held at St James Church. Visitors and members of the church visit our school to support the learning of the children.
Children are given the opportunity to lead and take ownership of collective worship through our values, class showcases and our pupils working with Rev Alison.
Collective Worship - Organisation of our Weekly Collective Worship
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Day |
Organisation |
|
Monday |
A whole school assembly, led by the Headteacher or Deputy Head. This Collective Worship takes place in the school hall around 9.05am and introduces our value for the term, which is linked to a Bible Story or an inspirational story or event from ‘Values for Life’ resource. |
|
Tuesday |
This Collective Worship is taken by Reverend Alison and is linked to our value for this half term or focuses on a special Christian event or Christian calendar. |
|
Wednesday |
This Collective Worship is taken by the Headteacher who will introduce a new JIGSAW linked to PSHE. It also incorporates individual class values – where a class will deliver a Collective Worship to the whole school based on the value or they will lead a curriculum-based session. This will showcase their learning. |
|
Thursday |
This Collective Worship is taken by our Music Lead teacher who teaches us new songs, leads us in singing or helps us to prepare for special services such as Harvest, Easter and Christmas. The choir and orchestra also perform during this session. |
|
Friday |
On Friday, our Collective Worship is a Celebration event where each class teacher nominates pupils from their class to receive a certificate to celebrate achievements. Sporting certificates are also given out and outside awards are celebrated along with birthdays. We also have our weekly attendance cup and house points. This collective Worship is led by the Headteacher or Deputy Head. The Headteacher also has a ‘Headteacher's Award’ for going above and beyond – those children will not only have a certificate but will have a hot chocolate with optional marshmallows the following week with the Headteacher. |
Worship Ambassadors
Our Worship Ambassadors lead our Collective Worship by opening and closing our Collective Worship. They close our session by leading the school with our school prayer.
Spiritual Development
Spiritual development at High Wych Primary School is rooted in helping children make sense of themselves, others, and the world around them in a thoughtful, reflective way. The school nurtures a sense of curiosity and wonder, encouraging pupils to pause, notice, and appreciate moments of beauty, challenge, and meaning in everyday life. Through a rich curriculum, collective worship, and opportunities for reflection, children explore big questions about values, purpose, and belonging whilst feeling safe to express their own ideas and beliefs.
We use the 'Windows, Mirrors and Doors' model to provide children with openings for spiritual development:
🌿 Windows
Windows give children the chance to encounter new ideas, experiences and perspectives beyond their own. They help pupils notice the richness of the world — its beauty, its complexity, and its challenges — and encourage them to wonder, question and explore what they see.
🌿 Mirrors
Mirrors offer children moments to pause and look inward. They help pupils recognise their own feelings, values and beliefs, and understand how their experiences shape who they are. Through reflection, children develop self-awareness and learn to make sense of their inner thoughts.
🌿 Doors
Doors invite children to take what they have noticed and reflected upon and turn it into meaningful action. They encourage pupils to respond with empathy, creativity or courage — whether that means making a positive choice, helping others, or expressing themselves in a new way. Doors represent growth, change and the opportunity to live out their developing spirituality.
SMSC
At High Wych Primary School, we place great importance on pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural (SMSC) development, recognising it as a vital foundation for helping children grow into thoughtful, responsible and well-rounded individuals. We are committed to nurturing the whole child, and SMSC sits at the heart of this commitment. Through a rich and varied curriculum, daily interactions and wider school experiences, we encourage pupils to reflect on their own beliefs and values, understand right and wrong, build positive relationships and appreciate the diverse world they live in. Our approach nurtures curiosity, empathy and confidence, enabling children to develop a strong sense of identity while learning to respect and celebrate the perspectives of others. SMSC is woven through everything we do, helping our pupils flourish academically, personally and socially as they prepare for life beyond primary school. See Enrichment - ‘Life Beyond the Classroom.
The Reflection Garden
The school's RE Council and Worship Ambassadors worked hard to design and create our Reflection Garden for everyone to enjoy.
The children researched layout ideas and also helped to make mosaic stepping stones that display the school values. Key Stage 2 children took part in a workshop to produce beautiful stained glass wheels and panels adding colour to the space. Parents planted up the flower beds and Nursery class assisted with placing the herbs.
It was a true team effort.
