What Spirituality means at White Waltham C of E Academy

Spiritual Development for some is about the development of a relationship with God, while for others it is about the development of the human spirit, and for others, a continual quest after truth.  It is vital for spiritual development that children and adults alike are allowed space to develop their own faith, beliefs and values.

Roots and Fruits

'A tree is known by its fruit'

Matthew 12.33

We use Roots and Fruits as the main focus for our collective worship.

Roots and Fruits provides creative collective worship for primary schools based on Christian values themes over a period of two years. Rooted in Bible teaching, twelve Christian values represent the fruit that grows as the teaching is lived out in everyday life.

The value for Summer Term 1 is Friendship and for Summer Term 2 is Respect.

A prayer of welcome

We light three candles in the name of: 

God the Father whose promises are true, 

God the Son who trusted his Father’s promises and 

God the Holy Spirit who gives us faith to trust God today. 

Acrostic Poem 

Friendship is… 

Finding things to do together 

Relying on each other 

Impossible on your own 

Enjoying being together 

Never selfish 

Depending on someone else 

Sharing hopes and dreams 

Happiness and laughter 

Including others 

Precious 

A prayer for good friendship 

Let our friendships be strong, O Lord, 

That they may become a blessing to others. 

Let our friendships be open, O Lord, 

That they may be a haven for others. 

Let our friendships be gentle, O Lord, 

That they may bring peace to others. 

For Jesus’ sake 

Amen 

Acrostic Poem 

Respect is…. 

Readiness to listen 

Everyone being valued 

Showing appreciation 

Praying for people 

Expressing opinions sensitively 

Caring for our environment 

Treating property carefully 

Prayer of St Francis of Assisi 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; 

where there is hatred, let me sow love; 

where there is injury, pardon: 

where there is doubt, faith; 

where there is despair, hope 

where there is darkness, light 

where there is sadness, joy. 

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much 

seek to be consoled as to console; 

to be understood, as to understand; 

to be loved, as to love; 

for it is in giving that we receive, 

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, 

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. 

Amen 

School Prayer

Dear Lord,

We look for your guidance and you show us the way

We learn to show kindness and cherish the day

Through your service we love the world that you hold

And you give us the tools to be great and be bold

We encourage one another and build each other up

In the name of Jesus and in the love of God

Amen

Space Makers

Space Makers is a resource for schools and churches from the Diocese of Oxford. Accessible to pupils of all faiths and worldviews, five contemplative practices help schools to embrace some of the ancient wisdom of the Christian tradition and, in doing so, assist children to navigate the world around them. Climate anxiety and the vast increase in screen time and exposure to social media seem to be causes of deteriorating mental health in young people.

The ancient contemplative traditions of Christianity, like its secular cousin ‘mindfulness’, have a lot to offer at this time. Space Makers brings five contemplative practices into the life of our schools.

St Mary's Church - White Waltham