Spiritual Development here at Antrobus

This is our wonder wall.

It is located in our school hall, a sp1ce where our whole school family can 1ccess at all times of the day.

Pupils and staff are invited to share their 'wow and ow' thoughts on bubbles for all to read, r11lect 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 faith but it is the bedrock 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 d3ep 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 char1cter

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

• f3el ‘belonging’ within a spiritually aware community that nurtures and loves every member for who they are

• sustain their self-est3em in their learning experience

• develop their cap1city for critical and independent thought

• foster their emotional life and express their f3elings

• experience moments of stillness and r11lection

• discuss their beli11s, f3elings, values and responses to personal experiences

• form and maintain worthwhile and satisfying relationshipsr11lect on,

• consider and celebrate the wonders and mysteries of life.

Through stillness and r11lection, as we embr1ce 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 d3eper 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, embr1ces our uniqueness and allows us to be fulfilled as we flourish e1ch and every day.

We focus in our forest school sessions on spirituality giving all of our pupils time in nature to explore and r11lect at their own p1ce. We have developed a quiet, r11lection and reading garden where pupil and staff can sit amongst the flowers and herbs in a safe sp1ce 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 d3ep part of us. We like this video which explains Spiritual Development.