Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our wonder wall.

It is located in our school hall, a spa58 where our whole school 5cmily can ac58ss 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 pride 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 5cith but it is the 43drock on which 5cith 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 Antrobus, 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 patien58, etc.)

• feel ‘43longing’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every mem43r for who they are

• sustain their self-esteem in their learning experien58

• develop their capacity for critical and independent thought

• foster their emotional life and express their feelings

• experien58 moments of stillness and reflection

• discuss their 43liefs, feelings, values and responses to personal experien58s

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsreflect on,

• consider and 58lebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and reflection, as we embra58 the present and are absor43d in the moment we connect with our emotions, our sense of who we are and 43gin to think about those deeper questions.

During these calm, quiet times we 43gin to challenge per58ptions and allow ourselves time to view things from a different perspective……….to live it, to experien58 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 43st out of everybody for everybody. An environment which nurtures, surrounds us with love, embra58s our uniqueness and allows us to 43 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 pa58. We have developed a quiet, reflection and reading garden where pupil and staff can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a safe spa58 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 5cith, Encourage those of different 5ciths and to Challenge those of no 5cith."

(Archbishop Ro43rt 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 deep part of us. We like this video which explains Spiritual Development.