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TIME TO CELEBRATE - GUIDELINES FOR COLLECTIVE WORSHIP IN C OF E SECONDARY SCHOOLS (2001)
£5.00 (ISBN 1 899547 09 6)

Drawing on the experience of Anglican secondary schools in London, these guidelines look at the principles of collective worship and how it can be used for the spiritual development of pupils. It provides practical advice and tips, together with examples of assemblies for different occasions and themes, including, the start of the school year, Remembrance Day, the global community, racial prejudice.

Extract

THE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF COLLECTIVE WORSHIP

Collective worship is the central event at the heart of Church Schools. It seeks to promote and develop the Christian values which underpin the life of the school. Below are some of the key principles of collective worship in the Church School.

• Participants should be given the opportunity and be encouraged to explore their belief and understanding of God within an explicitly Christian framework;

• Participants should be given the opportunity to understand the Christian faith, centred in Jesus Christ and in the teaching of the Bible;

• Participants should be given the opportunity to explore Christian worship for themselves;

• The main festivals and seasons of the Christian year should be part of the structure and pattern of school worship;

• Participants should be able to develop an understanding of themselves and other people and the world around them;

• All those present should feel welcomed and able to participate in this aspect of the school day;

• The act of worship should draw upon the diversity of faith and culture represented in the school community;

• Opportunities should be provided for the whole school community to consider the importance of a system of personal belief and the impact this has on daily living;

• Worship should be student centred; relate to their experiences; be relevant to their concerns; and take account of their needs;

• Collective worship should make a significant contribution to the development of the school's ethos;

• The success of the school community should be celebrated through the daily acts of worship;

• Collective worship should be a uniting factor in the school;

• Collective worship should provide a breathing space in the busy life of the school and be a time of reflection.

© Southwark Diocesan Board of Education & London Diocesan Board for Schools

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