Collective Worship at Birchington CE Primary School

At Birchington CE Primary School, we strive to ensure our Collective Worships are a time where our school family can come together and celebrate the central role that each child plays in their community.

Following the words of our Christian Vision, we ensure that our worship leaders plan and deliver aspirational worships that celebrate and respect all our pupils. Like our chosen Bible parable of The Lost Sheep, we aim for all our pupils to flourish and feel safe; we ensure that all our worships are invitational and inclusive to include all our pupils. Our worship reflects the variety of traditions found in the Church of England, and will recognise and follow the Christian liturgical year. The daily Christian act of worship is central to our ethos and is supported by all staff and Governors. It makes an important contribution to the overall spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the whole school community.

Each adult and pupil will experience worship that is truly welcoming, inclusive and exemplifying the principles of Christian hospitality. Collective worship therefore will be:

• Inclusive – Our acts of worship recognise that pupils and staff come from homes of different faith backgrounds as well as no faith backgrounds, so it will be inclusive of, and fully accessible to all. Care will be taken to ensure that language used by those facilitating worship avoids assuming faith of those participating, listening or watching.
• Invitational – In our acts of worship, there is no compulsion to ‘do anything’. Rather, worship will provide the opportunity to engage whilst allowing the freedom of those of different faiths and those who profess no religious faith to be present and to engage with integrity. Pupils and adults will only be invited to pray and sing if they wish to do so.
• Inspiring – By asking and discussing big questions about who we are and what we do in worship we hope to motivate pupils and adults into action. There will be opportunities to think, reflect and ponder on their and the wider community’s behaviour and actions.

All children take part in a daily act of Anglican worship.  Collective Worship is planned across the year and follows the ecclesiastical calendar.  Worship is uniquely Christian and Anglican in format, based around the principles of: Gathering, Engaging, Responding and Sending. We expect our Birchington children to apply their knowledge of Christian and School Values each day and treat each other respectfully and compassionately.

Monday - Whole school worship

Tuesday - Upper Phase Collective worship and Lower and Middle Phase Hymn and Worship

Wednesday - Class Collective Worship

Thursday - Upper Phase Hymn and Worship and Middle and Lower Phase Collective Worship

Friday - Whole school Celebration and Worship 

Collective Worship planning is supported by the Diocese of Canterbury Fresh Approach.  

Here are some examples of Collective Worships at Birchington CE Primary School