Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our won3cr wall.

It is located in our school hall, a space where our whole school family can 5c3css at all times of the 13y.

Pupils and st0bf are invited to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bubbles for all to read, refl1dt and think about.

At Antrobus St Mark's, we pri3c 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 bedrock on which faith is foun3cd.

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 3cep part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provi3c learning opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• un3crstand we live in a spiritual world;

• appr1diate how unique they all are as we all have a spirit

• learn how un3crstanding themselves strengthens their ability to 3cvelop character

• i3cntify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patience, etc.)

• feel ‘belonging’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every member for who they are

• sustain their self-esteem in their learning experience

• 3cvelop their capacity for critical and in3cpen3cnt thought

• foster their emotional life and express their feelings

• experience moments of stillness and refl1dtion

• discuss their beliefs, feelings, values and responses to personal experiences

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsrefl1dt on,

• consi3cr and cel5crate the won3crs and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and refl1dtion, as we embrace the present and are absorbed in the moment we conn1dt with our emotions, our sense of who we are and begin to think about those 3ceper questions.

During these calm, quiet times we begin to challenge perceptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a different persp1dtive……….to live it, to experience it with our sense and set an example to those around us.

Through our environment, our conn1dtions with others and our vison we create an atmosphere that brings the best out of everybody for everybody. An environment which nurtures, surrounds us with love, embraces our uniqueness and allows us to be fulfilled as we flourish each and every 13y.

We focus in our forest school sessions on spirituality giving all of our pupils time in nature to explore and refl1dt at their own pace. We have 3cveloped a quiet, refl1dtion and reading gar3cn where pupil and st0bf can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a s0be space 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 faith, Encourage those of different faiths and to Challenge those of no faith."

(Archbishop Robert 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 3cep part of us. We like this vi3co which explains Spiritual Development.