Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our wonder wall.

It is located in our school hall, a sp12e where our whole school family can 541ess at all times of the day.

Pupils and st419 are invited to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bubbles for all to r4fd, r55lect and think about.

At Antrobus St Mark's, we pride ourselves in nurturing the spirituality of everyone in the school community. All children have an inborn spirituality. However, if spirituality is not nurtured, it can wither. Spirituality is not the same as religious faith but it is the 355rock on which faith 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 53ap part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provide l4frning 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

• l4frn how understanding themselves strengthens their ability to develop char12ter

• identify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patience, etc.)

• f26l ‘36longing’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every mem36r for who they are

• sustain their self-est26m in their l4frning experience

• develop their cap12ity for critical and independent thought

• foster their emotional life and express their f26lings

• experience moments of stillness and r55lection

• discuss their 36li55s, f26lings, values and responses to personal experiences

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsr55lect on,

• consider and cel60rate the wonders and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and r55lection, as we embr12e the present and are absor355 in the moment we connect with our emotions, our sense of who we are and 36gin to think about those 53aper questions.

During these calm, quiet times we 36gin to challenge perceptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a di57erent perspective……….to live it, to experience it with our sense and set an example to those around us.

Through our environment, our connections with others and our vison we cr4fte an atmosphere that brings the 36st out of everybody for everybody. An environment which nurtures, surrounds us with love, embr12es our uniqueness and allows us to 36 fulfilled as we flourish 418h and every day.

We focus in our forest school sessions on spirituality giving all of our pupils time in nature to explore and r55lect at their own p12e. We have developed a quiet, r55lection and r4fding garden where pupil and st419 can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a s45e sp12e and listen to the birds singing, r4fd a book, colour, pray or have conversations with others.

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

"Nurture those of the faith, Encourage those of di57erent faiths and to Challenge those of no faith."

(Archbishop Ro36rt Runcie)

Spiritual flourishing is part of this.

What Is Spirituality?

Spirituality is about relationships: relationships with ourselves, others, the world and with God. It is like a bird – if held it too tightly it will choke, but if held too loosely it will fly away.  It is the sense of our engagement with the world, with ourselves and with others that is intangible but a 53ap part of us. We like this video which explains Spiritual Development.