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Collective Worship and Assemblies

 

 

What is collective worship?

The DfES Circular 1/94 gives the current advice of the Department of Education on collective worship. It clearly sets out the aims of collective worship.  Collective worship in schools should aim to provide the opportunity for pupils:

  • To worship God
  • To consider spiritual and moral issues and to explore their own beliefs
  • To encourage participation and response, whether through active involvement in the presentation of worship or through listening to and joining in the worship offered
  • To develop community spirit, promote a common ethos and shared values, and reinforce positive attitudes

All maintained schools must provide religious education and daily collective worship for all registered pupils and promote their spiritual, moral and cultural development. Local agreed Religious Education syllabuses for county schools and equivalent grant-maintained schools must reflect the fact that religious traditions in the country are in the main Christian, whilst taking account of the teaching and practices of other principal religions. 

Parents have the right to have their children excused from worship in any state-funded school. These exemptions are covered by Section 71 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998.

 

 

Aims of collective worship at Woodside Junior School

Collective acts of worship are incorporated into whole school assemblies.  At Woodside Junior School, we follow a weekly timetable of assemblies.  Collective Worship contributes significantly to the ethos of our school, and it is our aim that it is a time when the school common aims and values:

  • Celebrate achievement and special times
  • Explore together the world in which we live
  • Develop a community spirit

We also intend that our collective worship contributes to the development of the pupil as a ‘whole’ person by providing opportunities to:

  • Reflect on that which is considered worthy
  • Consider spiritual and moral issues
  • Explore their own beliefs
  • Develop their own spirituality
  • Reflect on the direction of their lives
  • Reinforce positive attitudes
  • Participate and respond
  • Reflect on what it means to be human
  • Consider the wonders and worries of the world