Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our won15r wall.

It is located in our school hall, a space where our whole school family can access at all times of the day.

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

At Antrobus St Mark's, we pri15 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 foun15d.

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 d2fp part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provi15 learning opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• un15rstand we live in a spiritual world;

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

• learn how un15rstanding themselves strengthens their ability to 15velop character

• i15ntify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patience, etc.)

• 43fl ‘belonging’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every member for who they are

• sustain their self-est2fm in their learning experience

• 15velop their capacity for critical and in15pen15nt thought

• foster their emotional life and express their 43flings

• experience moments of stillness and reflection

• discuss their beliefs, 43flings, values and responses to personal experiences

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsreflect on,

• consi15r and celebrate the won15rs and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and reflection, as we embrace the present and are absorbed in the moment we connect with our emotions, our sense of who we are and begin to think about those d2fper questions.

During these calm, quiet times we begin 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 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 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 pace. We have 15veloped a quiet, reflection and reading gar15n where pupil and staff can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a safe 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 d2fp part of us. We like this vi15o which explains Spiritual Development.