Worship

At Moordown St John’s, collective worship is at the heart of school life. Each day, pupils and adults have time to gather, explore the Christian faith, reflect on life, pray or be still, and consider how we might put our values into practice.

Our worship is rooted in our Christian vision: everyone is loved by God and can grow to be their Blossoming BEST – to belong, excel, shine and thrive. The Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – help us think about how we live, learn and care for one another.

As a Church of England school, our worship is distinctly Christian and follows the seasons and festivals of the Church year. It is also invitational and inclusive. Children of all faiths and none are welcome to take part. They may join in a prayer, listen, reflect quietly or consider their own response; no child is expected to express a particular belief.

Our pattern of worship

Our weekly pattern helps children return to a shared theme and explore it more deeply:

• Monday – Big Picture: whole-school worship introduces a Bible story, Christian teaching or theme linked to our vision.

• Tuesday and Thursday – Digging Deeper: Key Stage worship explores the theme through questions and activities suited to the children’s ages.

• Wednesday – Living It Out: class worship gives children time to reflect on what the theme might mean for themselves, others and the wider world.

• Friday – Celebration: we gather as a school family to worship, revisit the week’s learning and celebrate children living out our vision. Clergy from St John’s Church (Rev. Renate) regularly join us.

Individual acts of worship usually follow four stages: Gather, Engage, Respond and Send. This creates space to welcome one another, explore a Christian message, think or pray, and take an idea into daily life. 

Worship themes

Our Worship themes always link to our school vision 'Blossoming BEST' and support wellbeing and spiritual development for children and adults. 

Through our connection with Moordown St John’s Church and other churches and partnerships in the community, our worship and understanding is enhanced through regular visits from ministers and speakers.

We also regularly refer to the Diocese theme each year and have recently enjoyed the Gamechangers (2024), Triwonder (2025) and Bags of Hope (2026) projects.  The project for this year is Camino (pilgrimage and journeys).

Child-led worship

Children are active contributors to worship at MSJ. As they grow in confidence, they have opportunities to help plan and lead class and whole-school worship, read from the Bible, write and lead prayers, and share stories through drama or music. They also help shape church services and give feedback on worship.

Child-led worship gives pupils a voice in how our shared themes are explored. It helps them ask thoughtful questions, make link to our Global Neighbours work, listen to different perspectives and consider how our Christian vision can be lived out through care, service and action.

Growing spiritually

We understand spirituality as part of being human: wondering, asking questions and exploring identity, belonging, relationships, hope and meaning. Children use four simple lenses to help them notice and talk about these moments: Self, Others, World and Beyond. Opportunities for spiritual development arise in worship, lessons and everyday school life.

Each classroom has a space for prayer and reflection and a spirituality board. Our Peace Garden offers a quiet place for children and adults to pause and reflect. 

Parents have the right to withdraw their child from all or part of collective worship. Please contact the Headteacher if you would like to discuss the arrangements.

Collective Worship and Spirituality Policy

worship spirituality policy review sept 2029 .pdf