Introduction

A daily act of collective worship is given a high priority at The Gateway Primary Academy because it is considered to be an important avenue through which spiritual awareness and the values that uphold the school community are fostered.

Collective worship can offer opportunities for pupils to worship God, consider moral issues and to explore their own and others spiritual beliefs. It can develop community spirit, promote a common ethos and shared values. We also use collective worship to strengthen our whole school approach to ‘Building Learning Power’ through our assemblies and focus on a different learning muscle each half term.

Collective worships also provides an opportunity to recognise celebrations, festivals and important days/week, for example: St Patrick’s Day and British Science Week. It also gives us the opportunity to develop children’s knowledge of key individuals in a range of subjects, for example: history, English, science and art.

Collective worship also offers an opportunity to re-affirm, interpret and put into practise the values of the school.

Our School Values:

• Respect
• Teamwork
• Kindness
• Politeness
• Honesty

During our collective worship, we regularly revisit our 7 golden rules and set challenges linked to them.

Our Golden Rules:

• Do listen
• Do be kind and helpful
• Do be gentle
• Do work hard
• Do look after property
• Do be safe
• Do be honest

On a Friday, we then review the golden rules and celebrate classes who have consistently followed them with the class cup, which is then displayed outside the office. Our Friday golden time assembly provides a time to celebrate the various achievements of members of the community linked to our values and BLP.

Collective worship is arranged so that there is variety in grouping, content and leadership.  Efforts are made to ensure they are appropriate to the age, aptitude and family background of the pupils.

Elements referred to in the safeguarding and RHSE policies such as bullying, racial awareness and healthy lifestyles are also dealt with during these assemblies. This provides children with the opportunity to explore these issues and ways in which to overcome conflicts that may occur.

The Legal Requirements

An academy’s funding agreement should mirror the requirements of collective worship in local authority maintained schools. This legislation is set out in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 Section 70. As a result of this requirement the Education Reform Act 1988 requires all pupils registered in maintained schools to attend a daily act of collective worship.  It is the responsibility of the headteacher after consultation with the governing body to arrange for daily acts of worship to take place. The Education (Schools) Act 1992 requires inspection of the daily act of worship to ensure that schools meet the legal requirements.  The legislation requires that on the majority of days collective worship should be broadly Christian and, so far as practicable, attended by every pupil.  Parents may choose to have their child withdrawn from collective worship.

Aims

The main aim is to foster and develop spiritual, social, moral and cultural awareness for the pupils and promote the ethos and values of the school. 

In addition we aim to:

• Develop the children’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them
• Introduce pupils to religious concepts and festivals through stories with religious and moral meanings
• Enhance the pupils’ spiritual growth in terms of self-esteem; positive feelings, inner peace and stillness
• Develop an awareness of moral issues and dilemmas linked to our school values
• Strengthen the whole school approach to BLP when learning
• Develop the whole school approach to the Golden Rules and celebrate achievements as a school community.

Planning

The assemblies encompass a wide range of topics including:

• Moral stories and dilemmas linked to our school values and our relationship teaching
• Saint’s Days
• Bible stories (visits from local church throughout the year e.g. Harvest Festival)
• Main events in the Christian calendar
• Celebrations, including those from other faiths
• Significant individuals from a range of backgrounds
• Key days/week – British Science Week, World Book Week
• Singing assembly once a week (not during coronavirus restrictions)
• Building learning power
• KS1 birthday assembly once a week
• Regularly revisiting the golden rules
• Golden time assembly celebrating good work, the school values and good learning behaviours.
• KS1/2 birthday assemblies.
• Links to class Jigsaw work

In order to develop the children’s SMSC development we follow key themes such as within our assemblies:

• Religious festivals and celebrations
• Relationships
• Communication
• Specialness
• Talents
• Community
• Values
• Journey
• Safety
• Jigsaw project themes (including racial awareness and bullying)

Through these themes we aim to:

• Develop the children’s spiritual awareness defined as that aspect of inner life through which pupils acquire insights into their personal existence which are of enduring worth.
• Offer pupils opportunities to appreciate the importance of religious beliefs to those who hold them; explore and share beliefs and consider the relevance of ideas and beliefs in their own lives.
• Consider the importance of prayer, reflection and silence; offering pupils the opportunity to worship God
• Think about the needs of others and develop a sense of community

Organisation

Each term one learning muscle (BLP) is focussed on and are chosen to provide a balance of experiences over the term for spiritual, moral social and cultural content.  Links are drawn with Jigsaw, our school values and the golden rules at the start of each half term.

Assemblies are organised as whole school, Key Stage or class.

Assemblies begin with the lighting of a candle to signify the start of the reflective special time. Assemblies include a range of music to start them and conclude with a prayer. 

All staff are encouraged to participate and contribute to assemblies and external speakers are actively sought.

A celebration Assembly takes place once a week to celebrate a wide range of pupil achievements.

It is the policy of the school that parents have the right to withdraw their child from collective worship at the school and on these occasions children are set work in the classroom. Parents are expected to make their request in writing to the headteacher

External speakers are organised throughout the year from local churches, charities and parents.

Parents are invited to special assemblies at Harvest and Christmas