Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our won38r wall.

It is located in our school hall, a space where our whole school 54mily 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 pri38 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 54ith but it is the bedrock on which 54ith is foun38d.

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 38ep part of us.

At Antrobus, we aim to provi38 learning opportunities that will enable pupils to:

• un38rstand we live in a spiritual world;

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

• learn how un38rstanding themselves strengthens their ability to 38velop character

• i38ntify 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

• 38velop their capacity for critical and in38pen38nt 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 relationshipsreflect on,

• consi38r and celebrate the won38rs 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 38eper 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 38veloped a quiet, reflection and reading gar38n 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 54ith, Encourage those of different 54iths and to Challenge those of no 54ith."

(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 38ep part of us. We like this vi38o which explains Spiritual Development.