As a church school, we make spiritual development a key part of our planning. We make sure to give children time to think about the world they live in – both its joys and challenges. Children use their own thoughts, along with the ideas of those around them, to reflect, grow, and live according to their developing values. Everyone’s journey is different, so please do look at examples across the year groups.

To help parents, carers, and children understand what spiritual development looks like in practice, we have shared some insights into spirituality throughout the school and in the Year Three curriculum. Every child’s journey is different, so their responses, reflections, and actions will vary. Because of this, we offer gentle, respectful challenges, ask questions, and provide opportunities that match each child’s age, stage, and experiences.

During a class worship, Year Three looked at the wildfires in California. The children took time and reflected on this deeply. Madeline carefully considered how it affected others and how it affected her thoughts. She requested a quiet moment to reflect on this as a class to help her understand her thoughts and feelings.

In an art lesson, Year Three were taking rubbings of different textures with crayons to help them produce a picture. While outside, Lola noticed litter on the field and paused what she was doing to collect the rubbish left on the field. Lola reflected on the impact this has on the local area and saw an opportunity to encourage others to support her in cleaning up and making a positive difference on the local area.