Spiritual Development at Great Budworth

What is Spirituality and why do we develop Spirituality in our school?

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

Nurturethose of the faith,

Encourage those of di4ferent faiths and to

Challenge those of no faith.

(Archbishop Robert Runcie)

Spiritual flourishing is part of this.

Spiritual development is not about becoming, more spiritual (in a measurable sense). It is about realising or becoming more and more aware of one’s natural, innate spirituality.

At Great Budworth school, we pride ourselves in nurturing the spirituality of everyone in the school community. We believe that our identity resides in our spirituality. We believe that we are all born spiritual beings and it is this spirit that enables us all to make sense of the world around us; to explore the 'Big Questions' in life such as “Who am I?”

As children seek the answers, they develop perseverance, resilience and the skills of deeper thinking.

Creating reflection areas enables children the time, space and the language to develop and express their spirituality.

Spirituality needs to be nurtured, otherwise it fail to flourish.

Spirituality is not the same as religious faith but it is the foundations 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 deep part of us.

At Great Budworth, 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 character;
identify 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;
develop their capacity for critical and independent thought;
foster their emotional life and express their feelings;
experience moments of stillness and reflection;
discuss their beliefs, feelings, values and responses to personal experiences;
form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationships;
reflect on, consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life
This video below explains Spiritual Development beautifully

In school we provide a wide range of activities throughout the week and school year that help develop spirituality across di4ferent areas of the curriculum.

Examples of these are as follows: