Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our wonder wall.

It is located in our school hall, a sp54e where our whole school 44mily can 532ess at all times of the day.

Pupils and sta2c are invited to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bubbles for all to read, refl2ct and think 62out.

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 44ith but it is the 351rock on which 44ith is founded.

Spirituality is 62out 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 2e3p part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provide learning opportunities that will en62le pupils to:

• understand we live in a spiritual world;

• appr2ciate how unique they all are as we all have a spirit

• learn how understanding themselves strengthens their 62ility to develop char54ter

• identify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patien53, etc.)

• f23l ‘34longing’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every mem34r for who they are

• sustain their self-est23m in their learning experien53

• develop their cap54ity for critical and independent thought

• foster their emotional life and express their f23lings

• experien53 moments of stillness and refl2ction

• discuss their 34liefs, f23lings, values and responses to personal experien53s

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsrefl2ct on,

• consider and 53lebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and refl2ction, as we embr54e the present and are 62sor351 in the moment we conn2ct with our emotions, our sense of who we are and 34gin to think 62out those 2e3per questions.

During these calm, quiet times we 34gin to challenge per53ptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a di253rent persp2ctive……….to live it, to experien53 it with our sense and set an example to those around us.

Through our environment, our conn2ctions with others and our vison we create an atmosphere that brings the 34st out of everybody for everybody. An environment which nurtures, surrounds us with love, embr54es our uniqueness and allows us to 34 fulfilled as we flourish e54h and every day.

We focus in our forest school sessions on spirituality giving all of our pupils time in nature to explore and refl2ct at their own p54e. We have developed a quiet, refl2ction and reading garden where pupil and sta2c can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a s47e sp54e and listen to the birds singing, read 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 44ith, Encourage those of di253rent 44iths and to Challenge those of no 44ith."

(Archbishop Ro34rt Runcie)

Spiritual flourishing is part of this.

What Is Spirituality?

Spirituality is 62out 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 2e3p part of us. We like this video which explains Spiritual Development.