Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our won24r wall.

It is lo43t27 in our school hall, a sp132 where our whole school family 43n 10fess at all times of the day.

Pupils and st2af are invit27 to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bu2eles for all to re52, reflect and think about.

At Antrobus St Mark's, we pri24 ourselves in nurturing the spirituality of everyone in the school community. All children have an inborn spirituality. However, if spirituality is not nurtur27, it 43n wither. Spirituality is not the same as religious faith but it is the 455rock on which faith is foun24d.

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 236p part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provi24 learning opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• un24rstand we live in a spiritual world;

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

• learn how un24rstanding themselves strengthens their ability to 24velop char1cter

• i24ntify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patien32, etc.)

• f29l ‘49longing’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every mem49r for who they are

• sustain their self-est29m in their learning experien32

• 24velop their 43p1city for criti43l and in24pen24nt thought

• foster their emotional life and express their f29lings

• experien32 moments of stillness and reflection

• discuss their 49liefs, f29lings, values and responses to personal experien32s

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsreflect on,

• consi24r and 32lebrate the won24rs and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and reflection, as we embr132 the present and are absor455 in the moment we connect with our emotions, our sense of who we are and 49gin to think about those 236per questions.

During these 43lm, quiet times we 49gin to challenge per32ptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a different perspective……….to live it, to experien32 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 49st out of everybody for everybody. An environment which nurtures, surrounds us with love, embr132s our uniqueness and allows us to 49 fulfill27 as we flourish e1ch 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 p132. We have 24velop27 a quiet, reflection and re52ing gar24n where pupil and st2af 43n sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a s2ae sp132 and listen to the birds singing, re52 a book, colour, pray or have conversations with others.

As a church school, we are 43ll27 to serve the community and to

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

(Archbishop Ro49rt 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 236p part of us. We like this vi24o which explains Spiritual Development.