Spirituality
Our community is inspired by our Christian values to enable all to flourish in mind, body, heart and spirit.
HE SET MY FEET ON A ROCK AND GAVE ME A FIRM PLACE TO STAND (PSALM 40 V. 2)
At St Giles’ & St George’s we recognise that there is no universal definition of ‘spirituality’, because it is a very personal experience. It differs from person to person, and often spirituality changes within people during their lifetime. We aspire for everyone to achieve their God-given academic, personal and spiritual potential, so they flourish and make a positive impact in the world. Jesus came to offer life in all its fullness, and we aim to support this through providing a Christian education for our pupils.
Luke 2:52 states that Jesus, the example and inspiration for Christians, ‘grew in wisdom and in stature and in favour with God and all the people’, as he developed as a young man. This verse suggests he developed the academic wisdom of his mind, his physical body and also as a social and spiritual being. At St Giles’ & St George’s we strive to develop the mind, body, heart and spirit of our school community, to enable them to become fully rounded individuals. Within spirituality lies the heart of all religious expression and belief.
What are our aims?
At St Giles’ & St George’s Spirituality manifests in the following aspects:
- Beliefs
- Prayer
- A sense of awe, wonder and mystery
- Natural beauty
- A search for meaning and purpose
- Self-knowledge
- Relationships
- Creativity – the arts
- Feelings and emotions
Our Spirituality Curriculum
Our spirituality curriculum breaks down ‘big questions’ through all year groups and explores questions focusing on self, other, beauty and beyond. These questions are threaded through our whole curriculum, giving children the opportunity to explore these in a variety of subjects and contexts.
WINDOWS: giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways; to wonder about life’s ‘Wow's’ (things that are amazing) and ‘Ows’ (when things are not going well). In this, children are learning about life in all its fullness.
MIRRORS: giving children opportunities to reflect on their experiences; to meditate on life’s big questions and to consider some possible answers. In this, they are learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.
DOORS: giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. In this they are learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value.
Our Spirituality Curriculum:
Connecting with our community:
As a school, we believe it is important to help our whole community to flourish and develop spiritually. Each week, we share a Mindful Monday post with our wider community via Class Dojo and social media. This gives families the chance to think about Jesus' teachings and how we can live out his words through our own actions.
We also share a Thoughtful Thursday via Class Dojo which provides families with a 'take home' from our Class Collective Worship. These have big questions linked to current affairs and world views...another way for children and our adults to think about the world around them, and ask and answer questions about it.
See some examples below: