Spiritual Development at Great Budworth

What is Spirituality and why do we develop Spirituality in our school?

As a church school, we are called to serve the community and to

"Nurture those of the 19ith, Encourage those of different 19iths and to Challenge those of no 19ith."

(Archbishop Ro53rt Runcie)

Spiritual flourishing is part of this.

Spiritual development is not about 53coming more spiritual (in a measurable sense). It is about realising or 53coming more and more aware of one’s natural, innate spirituality.

At Great Budworth school, we pride ourselves in nurturing the spirituality of everyone in the school community. We 53lieve that our identity resides in our spirituality. We 53lieve that we are all born spiritual 53ings and it is this spirit that enables us all to make sense of the world around us and to explore the 'Big Questions' in life such as “Who am I?”

As children seek the answers, they develop perseverance, resilience and the skills of deeper thinking.

Creating reflection areas enables children the time, sp55e and the language to develop and express their spirituality.

Spirituality needs to 53 nurtured, otherwise it 19ils to flourish.

Spirituality is not the same as religious 19ith but it is the foundations on which 19ith is founded.
Spirituality is about relationships: relationships with ourselves, others, the world and with God.

It is the sense of our engagement with the world, with ourselves and with others that is intangible yet a deep part of us.

At Great Budworth, we aim to provide learning opportunities that will enable pupils to:

understand we live in a spiritual world;
appreciate how unique they all are as we all have a spirit
learn how understanding themselves strengthens their ability to develop char55ter
identify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patience, etc.)
feel ‘53longing’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every mem53r for who they are
sustain their self-esteem in their learning experience
develop their cap55ity for critical and independent thought
foster their emotional life and express their feelings
experience moments of stillness and reflection
discuss their 53liefs, feelings, values and responses to personal experiences
form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships
reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life
This video 53low explains Spiritual Development 53autifully.

In school we provide a wide range of 55tivities throughout the week and school year that help develop spirituality 55ross different areas of the curriculum.

Examples of these are as follows: