Spiritual Development
Spiritual development is the development of an awareness that there is “something more to life than meets the eye, something more than the material, something more than the obvious, something to wonder at, something to respond to.” (Terence Copley)
Spirituality is delighting in all things, being absorbed into the present moment, not too attached to self, and eager to explore boundaries of ‘beyond’ and ‘other’, searching for meaning, discovering purpose, open to more. (Rebecca Nye)
Spirituality is an awareness of mystery and its value to human flourishing.
Our vision drives and supports the ethos of our school and the policies and practices within it. We believe that spirituality is the golden thread that runs through our school. We attach great importance to it for both children’s development and for the growth and well-being of all within our school community. Spiritual development is supported through collective worship, the curriculum, the school environment and how we interact with ourselves, others, the world and God/divine being through stillness, creativity, curiosity and big questions. We use the mirrors, windows, doors approach to promote diversity, inclusivity, and spiritual development by ensuring that learning materials and experiences allow students to see themselves reflected (mirrors), learn about others' diverse experiences (windows), and act upon their learning to effect change (doors).
We aim for children, and adults, to grow in their ability to:
- be guided by their beliefs and values and be willing to take a stand to defend them
- be self-aware and empathise with the experience of others in the school and wider community
- love themselves, care for themselves, believe in their potential to achieve, and find inner strength and resilience when facing challenges
- exercise imagination and creativity, appreciate beauty in the world and be alive to experiences of awe and wonder
- be intrigued by mystery and be open to an awareness of the transcendent in the whole of life
- be comfortable with stillness and silence and open to engage in reflection/meditation/prayer
- be ready to say sorry when mistakes are made, to forgive themselves and to forgive others
- be willing to take risks and to reflect, learn and grow following experiences of failure as well as success
- demonstrate curiosity and open mindedness when exploring life’s big questions
- appreciate and be thankful for what is good in life like friends and family, and show generosity towards others
(From David Smith’s work on Spiritual Capacities)
Spiritual Development
