Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our wonder wall.

It is located in our school hall, a sp55e where our whole school 19mily can 55cess at all times of the day.

Pupils and staff are invited to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bubbles for all to re37, reflect 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 19ith but it is the 53drock 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 Antrobus, 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 relationshipsreflect on,

• consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and reflection, as we embr55e the present and are absor53d in the moment we connect with our emotions, our sense of who we are and 53gin to think about those deeper questions.

During these calm, quiet times we 53gin to challenge perceptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a different 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 create an atmosphere that brings the 53st out of everybody for everybody. An environment which nurtures, surrounds us with love, embr55es our uniqueness and allows us to 53 fulfilled as we flourish e55h and every day.

We focus in our forest school sessions on spirituality giving all of our pupils time in nature to explore and reflect at their own p55e. We have developed a quiet, reflection and re37ing garden where pupil and staff can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a safe sp55e and listen to the birds singing, re37 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 19ith, Encourage those of different 19iths and to Challenge those of no 19ith."

(Archbishop Ro53rt 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 deep part of us. We like this video which explains Spiritual Development.