At St. Andrew's, Collective Worship is a special part of the school day that introduces, explores and reinforces our School Values and chosen themes. We provide opportunities for our 'school family' to worship together. Pupils are encouraged to participate and respond, either actively in the presentation of worship or by listening and joining in the celebration.

Collective Worship gives pupils and school staff the opportunity to: 

• Engage in an act of community. 

• Express praise and thanksgiving to God. 

• Be still and reflect. 

• Explore the big questions of life and respond to national events. 

• Foster respect and deepen spiritual awareness. 

• Reflect on the character of God and on the teachings of Christ. 

• Affirm Christian values and attitudes. 

• Share each other's joys and challenges. 

• Celebrate special times in the Christian calendar. 

These ideas are taken from The Church of England guidance 

The Structure of our Collective Worship:

Gathering: we are invited to prepare our hearts and minds to meet with God. We gather together for this special time as a community. Music is played as we enter.

Worship Team: welcome by setting the worship table.

• We open the Bible and place it on the table as we think about God the Father
• We take out the cross and place it on the table as we think about God’s son Jesus
• We take out the candle and light it as we think about God the Holy Spirit

These three things are The Trinity.

Leader: The Lord be with you

Response: and also with you.

Hymn: we worship with our voices

Engaging: we engage with the big things and the little things in life, we encounter Jesus and the stories of the Bible, we listen to God’s message and consider how it might apply to our lives

Reflection and Response: we respond to what we have heard and seen through prayer, silence, stillness and reflection

Prayer: we are given the invitation to worship God in different ways

Sending: We are sent out to love and serve one another and to make a difference in the world, we are all sent out with God’s blessing

Leader: Go in peace to love and serve the lord

Response: in the name of Christ

All: Amen

Music is played as we leave

Our Assemblies:

Monday - our Theme is introduced in a Whole School Assembly

Tuesday - each class holds their own Collective Worship, prayer spaces are used in classrooms to capture our reflections and responses, children collect their ideas in their Values Scrapbooks too

Wednesday - our whole school assembly continues to explore the week's Theme, often lead by Sharon, our Associate Minister

Thursday - our whole school assembly continues to explore the week's Theme and we often use this time to practise hymns and songs that are used for worship

Friday - parents are invited to join us for our Celebration Assembly, an opportunity for us to share successes and recognise those who have demonstrated Our Christian Values