Welcome

"South Marston Church of England Primary is a school where inclusivity shines through. Staff ensure that each pupil is at the heart of everything they do." (Ofsted)

Collective worship provides a meaningful opportunity for spiritual exploration, yet spirituality extends far beyond this setting. Our lives are enriched by a broad spectrum of spiritual experiences, such as reflecting on art, appreciating nature's beauty, or simply feeling the wind on our faces. Spiritual reflection also includes engaging in religious practices like prayer or marvelling at the wonders of creation. It is crucial to acknowledge and embrace the diverse spiritual encounters that contribute to our personal growth.

We support children's spiritual development through various aspects of our provision, aligning with our school Vision and Values. Our approach includes:

• Positive Contributions: Encouraging participation in community-focused activities such as Macmillan Coffee Mornings, local food bank support, Comic Relief, Children in Need, and involvement with our School Worship Council.
• Quiet Reflection: Providing moments for introspection through storytelling, worship activities (e.g., lighting candles), listening to music, reflecting on daily themes, and engaging with designated reflection areas and regulation stations. These moments include prayers and mindfulness practices before lunch and at the end of the day.
• Emotional Awareness: Helping children identify and articulate their emotions using the Zones of Regulation and Regulation Stations.
• Creativity and Imagination: Fostering creativity through lessons, experiences, and extra-curricular activities.
• Music and Worship: Promoting participation in singing during lessons, worship, and special events such as the Carol Service and Easter Service.
• Emotional and Cognitive Exploration: Encouraging exploration, expression, and comparison of feelings and opinions across the curriculum, with focused attention during Jigsaw lessons, worship, and Religious Education (RE).
• Behaviour and Reflection: Incorporating a behaviour curriculum that promotes reflection on choices and feelings, and effective conflict resolution.
• Relationships and Communication: Highlighting the importance of strong relationships and effective communication.
• Appreciation and Unity: Fostering a sense of wonder, appreciation for beauty, and recognition of connections and unity in the world.
• Growth through Mistakes: Creating a culture where acknowledging and learning from mistakes is encouraged, supporting personal growth.
• Care and Compassion: Demonstrating and encouraging acts of care, kindness, and compassion through daily interactions, charitable efforts and prayer spaces.
• Engagement with Profound Questions: Facilitating discussions on significant questions through the curriculum, worship, current events and nurturing sessions.
• Reading and Reflection: Promoting regular reading and reflection on both secular and religious texts, including the Bible.
• Personal Belief Systems: Assisting children in developing their own belief systems, whether religious or secular.
• Empathy and Understanding: Using role-playing and storytelling to help children reflect on others' experiences and model empathy, understanding, love, and compassion.
• Natural Environment: Integrating engagement with the natural environment across the curriculum.
• Extracurricular Music: Providing opportunities for participation in extracurricular music activities.
• World Events: Reflecting on the impact of global events on our lives.
• Celebrating Individuality: Recognising and celebrating individual achievements both within and outside the school (e.g., SATs week, Collective Worship awards).
• Diverse Spiritual Perspectives: Engaging with diverse viewpoints on spirituality to broaden understanding.
• Awe and Wonder: Creating opportunities for experiencing awe through visitors, trips, and curriculum enhancements.
• Inquiry-Based Learning: Exploring 'big questions' through inquiry-based learning across the curriculum.

This comprehensive approach ensures that children are provided with a rich array of experiences to support their spiritual development and personal growth.

"Pupils speak enthusiastically about the plentiful opportunities to expand and develop their interests and talents." (Ofsted)