Collective Worship

The daily act of Collective Worship is a legal requirement in all schools and at St Mark’s c of E Primary Academy, it is based on a Christian and Anglican foundation. We use the Bible as reference, as well as examples from other walks of life.

It provides the opportunity to come together as a school community to promote Christian values and the vision of the school, which is ‘Inspiring minds, achieving excellence and nurturing faith’

Christian teaching provides the children with the opportunity to relate the core values to their own lives and reflect on choices they have made and how choices impact on lives and on this world.

It encourages pupils to take responsibility for their own conduct and display good values around the school and on a Thursday, we celebrate examples of good values in our celebration worship.

Prayer plays a very important role at Collective Worship. We open worship with our school values prayer and we close in prayers led by the Children's Faith Group or adults. Children regularly have the opportunity to pray silent or verbal prayers, during quiet reflection as well as write prayers for the prayer tables in the classroom. Children's prayers are dedicated to God as part of the class day. 

Children play an integral part of Collective Worship, including them leading readings and prayers on a Wednesday in the Church.  We are fortunate to have Mother Susan leading Collective Worship weekly for the children while the Diocese looks for a new incumbent. Mother Roxanne, who is the Canon Librarian and Dean of cultural Diversity at Southwark Cathedral, also leads Collective worship once a month.

Our vision of  'Inspiring Minds, Achieving Excellence and Nurturing Faith in reflected in our times of Collective Worship. We invite parents to join us when classes lead Collective Worship and for special occasions such as the Christmas production.

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 lead and take part in our Christmas Production and Year 3 and 4 lead and take part in our Easter Production.

The following elements are part of our usual school practice:

• Music as the children enter the hall to create an appropriate atmosphere. Children are encouraged to join in with the praise and worship songs.
• Welcome greeting and school values prayer
• A key message
• A time of reflection on the key message where children are prompted to think or pray about the world, the school and people in the community.
• This is a quiet time, for children to reflect on how the Christian values can help them to make a positive difference at St Mark’s, in the community and the wider world whilst lighting a candle
• The final prayer / The Lord's Prayer.
• Blessing
• Music/Hymn as children leave the hall

We follow a annual program, that includes significant events in the church calendar. and a key theme for each term.