Collective Worship at St Helen's

Our School Vision and Christian Value are integral to everything we do at St Helen's and Collective Worship is no exception. 

Collective Worship at St Helen's is designed to link our school vision to the three ambitious intentions of the Church of England's vision for Collective Worship: Inspirational, Invitational and Inclusive. 

We hold a daily act of Collective Worship which is delivered in line with national guidance as outlined in Circular 1/94 and our Trust deed.

Our Worship Leader is Mrs Carr.

Inspirational

Collective Worship is a time when we teach about our Christian Values, which are routed in theological understanding and have direct links to our vision. It is an opportunity for pupils to reflect on how they can be inspired to live out our vision through holding true to our school values. Please click here to find out more about our Christian Values. 

Collective Worship is a time when we respond to what is happening in the world around us. We learn about the Christian calendar and the importance and this brings to the lives of Christian and the lives of those in modern day Britain. We also respond to world events and to nationally celebrated special days which helps us to reflect on how we can live out our vision and values.

Invitational 

Collective worship includes times of silence, of singing, of meaningful discussion, of reflection. Routines are integral to our worships. Pupils are invited to participate at the level they feel comfortable. Worships include times of silence, of singing, of meaningful discussion and of reflection.

Our incumbent, Father Robert, is active in school-life and leads mass at key points int he year. He invites all to learn from the Christian story and invites us to our Church for more formal times of collective worship, such as Easter and St Helen's Day. 

Parents are invited to Star of the Week worships which are held every Friday. Achievements from both inside and outside of school are celebrated.

Inclusive

Collective Worship is open to all pupils. All pupils are invited to attend across the week, no matter their background or starting point. The right of withdrawal is respected and recognised in our worship policy. Careful attention is placed on the language used in worships. We do not presume faith or participation, but all are invited. 

Class worship is a time for pupils to respond in an age-appropriate way to our Christian vision and values. It is a time when a more intimate discussion can take place and pupils can reflect and share ideas with their peers. 

Collective Worship is a time for pupils to feel included, that their participation is valued. Pupils participate in a variety of ways at St Helen's. Year 6 leaders prepare the hall space before and after worship time. The pupils lead parts of our routines like lighting the candle and leading elements of celebration worships. Our Faith Team plan and lead a variety of collective worships across the year. This year we have appointed some of our Year 6's to be Collective Worship Ambassadors. Each ambassador is assigned to a class. They lead their class into worship, sit with them and engage them in discussion and reflection. Ambassadors document the reflections and discussions in their own book.

Collective Worship Timetable

Values Worship

Our school values are all rooted in the Christian story and have direct links to our vision. Each half term we have a value we focus on, making links between the Christian story, world events, school-life and how we live our lives. 

Class Values Worship

Class worship is a time for pupils to respond in an age-appropriate way to our values. It is a time when a more intimate discussion can take place and pupils can reflect and share ideas with their peers. 

Prayer & Praise

We love to sing at St Helen's and Wednesdays provide an opportunity for everyone to come together and celebrate through song. We often include actions to enable this to be inclusive of everyone, in particular the younger children. We are extremely proud of how well our children sing.

Class Worship - World Events

We are responsive to what is happening in the world around us. During weekly worships, we respond to the Christian calendar and world events. We offer pupils the opportunity to reflect on how these events can help us live out our vision.

Star of the Week

Parents are invited to Star of the Week worships. We celebrate achievements both inside and outside of school. We also celebrate attendance, including individual attendance as well as how well we have attended as a class. There is an opportunity to reflect on the week in terms of what we are proud of and how we can make next week even better.