Growing a creative school community that encourages belonging,
nurtures believing and works together to become responsible members
of God’s family and the world.
Spirituality at St. John’s Church of England Primary Academy
At St. John’s spirituality is about an awareness that there is something other, something greater than the course of everyday life, that can be expressed through our own experiences, religious beliefs and practices.
At St. John’s we believe that spirituality is free, exploratory and creative. Spirituality is about having a sense of connection to something bigger than ourselves and promotes self, well-being and helps to support inner health. It involves the search for individual identity - with our responses to challenging experiences, such as death and suffering, and with our sense of awe and wonder in the world.
It makes time to enjoy those WOW moments – finding wonder and delight in things e.g. maths, the world, a flower…
…and time to ponder those OW moments – when bad things happen e.g. dealing with difficult circumstances such as personal pain or the suffering of others.
At St. John’s spirituality refers to ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’. Spirituality means giving time to reflect on life’s big questions of meaning and purpose in life and having opportunities to consider the values by which to live.
We believe spirituality enriches individuals in their understanding of and ability to relate to others and to society as a whole – our relationships with ourselves, our family, our friends, those around us, God and all creation.
This can be seen in school through:
Foundation Stage – Pupils will have an open mind and a readiness to use their imagination. They will have a lively sense of curiosity and be accepting of wonder and excitement.
KS1 – Pupils have a natural inquisitiveness about themselves and others; they think about things they value and how they are special to them. They have a natural openness to awe and wonder and are enthusiastic for new experiences. Pupils ask questions.
KS2 – Pupils become increasingly interested in the big questions about life and living. They ask questions but now want to move onto finding reasons and answers. Increasingly, they are fascinated by uncertainty and truth.
Awe and Wonder
- Developing a sense of awe and wonder
- Enjoying the miracles of everyday life: experiencing the joy of nature and natural tools through countryside sills.
- Taking time for what really matters: having time to think, reflect and enjoy the here and now.
- Appreciating beauty in art, music, nature.