Religious Education Documentation
►Religious Education and Collective Worship
►Collective Worship
►Collective Worship at Willowgarth High School
►Suggestions for Collective Worship Content
►Christian Assemblies
►Religious Education and Collective Worship
All pupils will follow a programme of Religious Education. The programme will be non-denominational and broadly Christian in character (though some work will cover other major world religions).Collective worship will be of a similar character. The programme has been devised in consultation with local churches of all denominations. We are very grateful to the clergy and lay members of the churches who have helped us in its preparation and delivery. The school's resources do not permit a formal act of collective worship every day. Each year group will attend one formal assembly per week.
Parents with an objection on religious or conscientious grounds to their children taking part in either collective worship or RE have the right to withdraw them from these parts of the school's curriculum. Please inform the school in writing if you wish to exercise this right. Alternative arrangements for supervised private study will be made for pupils withdrawn from these areas of the curriculum.
Back to top
►Collective Worship
Legal Requirements re: - Collective Acts of Worship1988 Education Reform Act
The 1988 Education Act basically restates what is set out in the 1944 Act but with significant qualifications.
The 1988 Act uses the term collective worship - nowhere does it refer to 'Assembly'.
The main points to consider are:
1. ALL pupils shall on each school day take part in a Collective Act of Worship.
2. The Collective Act of Worship should take place on the school premises.
3. It can be a single Act of Worship for all pupils or separate Acts of Worships for different groups of pupils. (N.B. This can be form groups/year groups etc. but it must be a group which already has a life of its own in school and is not created specifically for an Act of Worship).
4. It can take place at any time of the school day.
5. The worship should be 'wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character'.
6. It should reflect the broad traditions of Christian belief without being distinctive of any particular Christian denomination
7. There must be regard for the age, aptitude and family background of the pupils
8. If a school believes point No.6 is inappropriate for the whole school it can apply to its local SACRE for a determination to have that clause lifted or modified.
Back to top
►Collective Worship at Willowgarth High School
The following points describe the way we at Willowgarth will do our best to fulfill the requirements and spirit of Collective Worship.1. Each theme is linked to a week number. The Collective Worship week will begin with the year group assembly. E.g. HoY introduces the theme at the year group assembly on, say, Thursday and tutors develop the theme during the morning registration time from Friday until the following Wednesday.
2. Every tutor will be expected to participate in this programme. Every session connects with the theme for the week. Every session may be concluded with a prayer but colleagues will not be obliged to do so.
3. The expectation is that a reading - and this may be one of those provided within this folder or one from an assembly resource book or one prepared by the tutor - will be delivered to the tutor group. The base-line is that the group should sit quietly and attentively (in line with DFL). On some mornings there may be sufficient time to invite responses from the group.
4. Each session should be concluded with a moment or two of silence to enable all to reflect on what has been said.
5. A tutor may invite the group to pray at the conclusion, the tutor could also, perhaps, relate the words of prayer that may be relevant with a preamble along the lines of 'Some people who are religious Christian, Muslim, Jew etc. may say the following prayer'.
6. Initially, the whole school will follow the same themes. Every tutor and Hoy will be provided with sufficient material to enable four out of five mornings each week to be 'covered'.
7. Year heads will be responsible for supporting the delivery of this programme.
8. There is a clear requirement on a school to enable staff as well as the parents of pupils not to be involved in Christian Acts of Worship should they so wish.
9. The programme has been designed to address possible concerns of some colleagues whilst promoting the involvement of all at an initial moral/spiritual level. We must, however, provide sufficient information to support the parental right to choose for their child. For us to do this, Year heads will ask members of their team if someone will - because they feel sufficiently comfortable - be providing morning sessions which strongly develop Christian - rather than spiritual/moral elements. This may also include the year group assembly. In addition to contacting all parents to explain our arrangements, the parents of pupils in classes where there will be the development of strongly Christian elements will be enabled to withdraw their child should they so wish.
10.We are required to keep a log of which themes are used. The layout of the sheet should enable easy annotation.
This programme will help us all provide pupils with a focused start to the day. Back to top
►Suggestions for Collective Worship Content
PRAYER FOR TODAYOn BBC Radio 4 at around 7-OOam there is a daily PFT. The programme interviews a celebrity or often simply someone who has something to say and who is able to describe their daily routine and the prayer or biblical extract that gives them strength, support or comfort. The key is that they are an interesting communicator. The interviewer spends a few minutes discussing the interviewee's routine and then asks them to select a prayer/extract that is important to them. There are loads of possible respondents at Willowgarth - and beyond.
MOST MOVING EXTRACT FROM A BOOK, POEM, SONG ETC.
This could be part of a survey amongst pupils, staff and visitors (every visitor cold be asked to complete a short questionnaire). It would include the extract and the reason why it was felt to be so moving or appropriate to the moment. Ideally, the respondent would read the extract them self or cue-in the recording. This would probably be more appropriate for a year group assembly although there is no reason why a working group of pupils couldn't use this idea as a challenge to develop a research project, eventually producing dozens of tape recordings that could be used in tutor-group sessions.
MOST MOVING TIME LINKED TO THE RESPONDENTS FAVOURITE PERSONAL SAYING
Many of us have a special saying that we use for example, when the 'going gets tough'
-'Never let them get you down'
-'Never let anyone make you lose faith in yourself'
-'Do it to them before they do it to you!' etc.
-Another possible research project - collecting these phrases/sayings
I BELIEVE...
- Yet another research project!! And similar in nature to the 'I've learned...' phrases. Hundreds of people work at Willowgarth. There's a superb opportunity for a well-organised series of research projects to glean some terrific material that may be used within our overall Collective Worship program me.
Back to top
►Christian Assemblies
(These may be appropriate for H0Y in their year group assemblies.)1 NEW BEGINNINGS
A new year offers us a fresh start - new opportunities.
What happened last year? If it wasn't that good it doesn't have to prevent us from using this fresh start.
Moses was over eighty when he was used by God to lead the Israelites out of Egypt where they were being used for slaves even after he had murdered an Egyptian soldier when he tried to get justice his own way.
The fact that he had done something wrong didn't stop God giving him a second chance or fresh start.
****(Read Exodus Chapters 2+3)****
Pray that we will recognise and use the new opportunities that God give us, both for our own good and for the good of the people around us.
2 PREPARATIONS
****(Read The Parable of the Talents Matthew 25:1 4~29)****
As you can see from the story, everyone has different abilities/talents. Some are more obvious than others (e.g.)
Some have great talents as sportsmen, singers, actors, and leaders on both the international and local scene.
The point isn't that its not fair that someone is much cleverer or faster than me.
The point is that we must do all we can with all the abilities we do have.
Pray: Please help us to recognise the talents that you have given us. Help us not to waste time comparing ourselves with others but use and develop the skills you have given us.
Back to top
