Collective Worship at Shap CE School

At Shap CE School, collective worship is a valued time of reflection and community held at the end of each school day. Our worship is designed to be inclusive, engaging, and based around our six core Christian values: Friendship, Trust, Peace, Koinonia, Compassion, and Creation—each explored in depth over the course of the year.

Worship Led by Local Christian Leaders

We are privileged to have a range of local clergy and Christian groups lead our daily worship, enhancing our children's experience through their diverse perspectives:

• Anglican and Methodist Ministers share traditional worship experiences.
• Church in the Barn offers an informal, community-centered approach that resonates with our children.
• Open the Book Team brings Bible stories to life through drama, allowing children to engage directly with the teachings.
• Ruth Evans from NISCU (Northern Inter-Schools Christian Union) leads sessions with creative storytelling and engaging discussions, making faith accessible and relatable.

Interactive and Child-Led Worship

Our collective worship is biblically based and integral to the life of the school. In line with our commitment to inclusivity, we strive to make each session interactive and creative. Following feedback from pupil voice activities, sessions may include:

• Role-play and hands-on activities that help children explore themes more deeply.
• Outdoor worship experiences when possible, allowing children to reflect on the beauty of creation.
• Singing and prayer that encourage children to express themselves and share their reflections.
• Child-led worship, with our Mini Police, and Worship Councillors often taking turns to lead, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility amongst the children.

Celebration Worship on Fridays

Fridays are reserved for our Celebration Worship attended by families, where we acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the week. Children are recognised with Stars of the Week, the Reading Raffle, and Team Point Winners, as well as sharing their achievements from out of school activities too - fostering a supportive and encouraging community spirit.

Positive Reflections from SIAMS

Our collective worship provision has been greatly enhanced through strong partnerships forged between school leaders, churches, and local worship leaders. The SIAMS inspection highlighted that “collective worship is inclusive, invitational, and integral to the school’s life.” Most pupils enjoy worship and many actively participate in reading, acting, and singing, with worship councillors from each class taking on specific leadership roles.

During worship, pupils are encouraged to share their thoughts and ideas about key questions, such as discussing Jesus’ prayer for his followers to be “perfectly one.” This promotes a deeper understanding of what this means in the context of our village and the wider world community.

During the pandemic, we lived out our Christian vision by continuing collective worship virtually, creating an accessible online environment for families. This effort allowed our community to “be together collectively” and pray for one another, reinforcing our commitment to care and support.

To see our full-year worship overview and this half-term’s timetable, please see below. We welcome all families to learn more about the role of worship in our school community.

 

Shap CE School Anthem

• Shap CE School Anthem
  Our school anthem, composed by our children, demonstrates our Christian vision and associated Christian Values! We sing this in our Worship Times too!