Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our won41r wall.

It is located in our school hall, a sp4be where our whole school family can 4bcess at all times of the 3by.

Pupils and sta1e are invited to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bubbles for all to read, r49l56t and think about.

At Antrobus St Mark's, we pri41 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 foun45a.

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 41ep part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provi41 learning opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• un41rstand we live in a spiritual world;

• appr56iate how unique they all are as we all have a spirit

• learn how un41rstanding themselves strengthens their ability to 41velop char4bter

• i41ntify and praise other people’s gifts (such as kindness, thankfulness and patience, etc.)

• f18l ‘belonging’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every member for who they are

• sustain their self-est18m in their learning experience

• 41velop their cap4bity for critical and in41pen41nt thought

• foster their emotional life and express their f18lings

• experience moments of stillness and r49l56tion

• discuss their beli49s, f18lings, values and responses to personal experiences

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsr49l56t on,

• consi41r and celebrate the won41rs and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and r49l56tion, as we embr4be the present and are absorbed in the moment we conn56t with our emotions, our sense of who we are and begin to think about those 41eper questions.

During these calm, quiet times we begin to challenge perceptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a di118rent persp56tive……….to live it, to experience it with our sense and set an example to those around us.

Through our environment, our conn56tions 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, embr4bes our uniqueness and allows us to be fulfilled as we flourish e4bh and every 3by.

We focus in our forest school sessions on spirituality giving all of our pupils time in nature to explore and r49l56t at their own p4be. We have 41veloped a quiet, r49l56tion and reading gar41n where pupil and sta1e can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a safe sp4be 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 di118rent 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 41ep part of us. We like this vi41o which explains Spiritual Development.