Collective Worship

At St Barnabas C of E Primary School we believe that Collective Worship plays a very important role in the life of our school. Each day the school gathers for worship.  As a Church of England school we base our worship on Christian teachings, values and traditions of the Christian Church.  

Download: Collective Worship Policy June 2026

Collective Worship plays an important part in promoting the Christian ethos of the school.  It is an opportunity to come together to reflect on the spiritual and moral aspects of school life.

Collective Worships:

Collective Worship takes a range of forms throughout the week, and across terms.  These range from Whole School, Class assemblies – inviting parents in, Worship led by church groups, Singing Worship, Key Stage and Celebration Worship.

Collective worship is used to encourage children to:

• consider broader aspects of living within a local and global Christian Community, to recognise key events and stories from Christianity and the church calendar.
• reflect on current experiences and themes that influence and impact on the children’s lives.
• help children to develop respect and sensitivity to the beliefs and values of others.
• acknowledge and reflect on children’s achievements and learning both in and out of school.
• develop as responsible caring adults.

Our School Values

Our Values link closely to those used by St Barnabas Church.  We focus on a new value each term which children will have the opportunity to explore, discuss and demonstrate.  They are at the heart of everything we do and will be celebrated and referred to on a regular basis. 

Our school values for this year are:

• Ambition
• Resilience
• Compassion

Worship may also include content from our PSHE curriculum which includes Our School Rules  

Be Ready, Be Respectful, Be Responsible

Through our Collective Worship we:                                                                                                                              

• conduct worship in a dignified, sensitive and respectful way.
• show the children that worship is a period of calm reflection
• regard worship as a special time and expect children to behave in an appropriate way.
• encourage everyone to be quiet, be thoughtful and to listen carefully.
• encourage the children to contribute their ideas and thoughts
• create an atmosphere by using music, lighting candles and using objects that act as a focal point.

We encourage visitors and members of the wider community to enhance the children’s learning and develop in our children the skills of reflection, empathy to encourage and celebrate their talents and to promote the idea of community and a sense of belonging and well being for all our children.

Families have the right to withdraw a child from an Act of Worship and it is the class teacher’s responsibility to ensure that they are safely cared for and provided with an appropriate learning task.

Coverage 

Over the academic year, our Collective Worship programme covers many different aspects: 

• Christian Ethos and Spirituality
• Liturgical Calendar 
• Values and Character
• Other Religious Festivals
• National Festivals
• National and Global Events
• School-wide Curriculum Themes
• Significant Events

Partnerships

As a Church of England school, we are proud of our link with St Barnabas Church. This extends to our collective worships where we often welcome the Reverend or other members of the church community to plan and deliver acts of worship that are invitational, inclusive and inspirational. We also work with members of our community who hold expertise in certain areas or have other faiths or worldviews.