Collective Worship

Collective Worship at St Nicholas is truly welcoming, inclusive and invitational. We seek to inspire all so that they may flourish on their own spiritual journey of belonging, believing and becoming. Collective worship links to all of our values (Christian and British), it fosters a sense of community and is a key way we express our Christian Vision.

Children take part in daily Collective Worship, whether this is as a whole school, with their key stage or in class. The rhythm of daily worship invites children to enter a space for reflection and spiritual development. 

Leading Lights

Our Leading Lights Support Collective worship. They are Christian role models that guide their peers with worship reflections and with living out our school vision day to day. 

Spirituality

We believe that spiritual flourishing is key to each child's holistic development, empowering them to dream big and shine bright both now and throughout their lives.

Spiritual flourishing at St Nicholas involves nurturing moments of spiritual growth. These moments are referred to as the “wows, ows, and nows of life.” These moments in time lead to wonder, reflection and engagement, helping each individual to discover and express their inner light. Spirituality is within everyone, regardless of religious background, and is fostered through reflection on our relationships with ourselves, others, nature, and God/beyond.

By embracing the "wows, ows, and nows" of life, we are all given the opportunity to ponder life's big questions and grow in spiritual understanding.

The "Windows, Mirrors, and Doors" Approach

We use the "windows, mirrors, and doors" framework to encourage spiritual growth:

•Windows: Looking outward, giving children opportunities to explore the wonders of life, the beauty of nature, and the deeper questions that arise from life's "wows," "ows," and "nows."

•Mirrors: Looking inward, allowing children to reflect on their wows, ows and nows, developing self-awareness, considering their place in the world and in relation to others. Children begin to reflect on life’s experiences—whether joyful, challenging, or immediate—helping them to build self-awareness and a deeper understanding of the world and their place in it.

•Doors: Engaging with the world by responding to their reflections creatively and expressing their thoughts, beliefs, and convictions through action.

God and Spirituality

‘We are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.’ Isaiah 64:8

Everyone had spirituality regardless of faith. As a church school, we invite children to reflect on the part that God might play on their spiritual journey using the following analogy:

Kintsugi is a Japanese word meaning ‘golden joinery’. Artists use golden glue to repair broken pottery bringing unexpected beauty and, in some cases, allowing the light to shine through. The Bible talks about how God creates everyone in God’s image. It also describes God as a potter and describes everyone being the work of God’s hand.  Sometimes pots can crack or break. Sometimes things happen that can make us feel cracked or changed. Christians believe whatever happens to them in life, God is with them. God can fill and mend gaps and put everyone back together. Spirituality is the golden glue.

Furthermore, we invite children to draw inspiration from our vision and the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. Joseph's life was filled with “wows, ows, and nows”. Despite facing numerous challenges—such as, being sold into slavery, and enduring unjust imprisonment—Joseph exemplified unwavering trust in God’s plan during his "ows."

Joseph asked big questions about his purpose in life. He reflected on his dreams, listened to the messages that God was giving him and took action that ultimately saved nations during a time of famine. We are reminded that our actions can impact our communities and beyond. Joseph’s life illustrates that spiritual growth can happen when we navigate life's ups and downs with faith, reflection and action.

Courageous Advocacy

As part of Collective Worship, we reflect on and encourage making use of the power we have within us to become courageous advocates for social injustice. Our children are proud courageous advocates for a variety of causes and have used their power to lead worship, raise awareness and raise money for various causes. Our children are particularly passionate about nature and the environment. 

Courageous Advocacy Project- Water Walk

St Nicholas Primary School took action for social injustice by taking part in a water walk to the River Arrow. The whole school walked to the shingle beach by the weir to collect water in a bucket and return it to school. They did this to reflect on the journey that many children have to make every day to get water- often not even clean water. They wanted to do something that not only raised money, but raised awareness and understanding of what some children must do to have access to a water supply.

To support the event, families donated £1 to twin a toilet in the school with an overseas toilet. Toilet Twinning is another charity that will use our donation to supply sustainable resources for families overseas to build their own toilets and provide education about good hygiene. The school raised enough money to twin 2 of their toilets!

Prayer Life

Prayer is an important part of daily life at St Nicholas.

We have dedicated prayer spaces around the school that provide opportunity for an encounter with God. Our prayer spaces invite you to be drawn into prayer and stillness though your senses. They are places for discovery, for private reflection, intention and thanksgiving.

St Nicholas' Church

We have strong links with St Nicholas Church where we visit regularly. The minister team at St Nicholas are very much a part of our school community. They support us to develop spirituality across the school through Collective Worship, supporting our prayer spaces and enhancing the Christian elements of our RE curriculum.

https://www.alcesterminster.org

What our Children Say about St Nicholas Church:

"We go to church to show we love God. We learn about how God cares about us, and how we can care about God."