Spiritual Development
Spiritual development encompasses our children’s personal growth, values, and understanding of themselves and their place in the world, it can be difficult to define as it varies from each person and is a personal experience and often changes over a persons lifetime. We believe spirituality is our relationship with ourselves; our mind, body and soul (spirit), our relationship with each other, with God (transcendence) and with our world, nature and the environment .
Spiritual development is about awe and wonder regarding the big questions of about the meaning and purpose of life which affect everyone. Spirituality is different from being religious or having faith, a person can be spiritual without being religious.
In keeping with our Christian Vision and recognising that we are all God’s children and are spiritual beings. We believe that spiritual development should influence all areas of education and life and we aim to integrate this in all aspects of our curriculum and life at school enabling all of our children and adults to flourish.
Windows, Mirrors and Doors
We use the ‘Windows, Mirrors and Doors’ approach (developed by Liz Mills) which has helped us to develop our thinking about spiritual development across our whole curriculum.
Windows
Giving children opportunities to become aware of the world in new ways. Learning about life in it’s fullness, this includes both the things that amaze us and challenge us. To wonder about life’s wows and ows. Through our curriculum we have lessons with awe and wonder through a variety of stimuli photos, videos, music, artefacts, current events and real life stories etc
Mirrors
To meditate on life’s big question
s and to consider some possible answers. Learning from life by exploring their own insights and perspectives and those of others.
Through high quality RE children are challenged to reflect on their learning about religion to help them learn from religion, regardless of whether they have a specific faith.
Doors
Giving children opportunities to respond to all of this; to do something creative as a means of expressing, applying and further developing their thoughts and convictions. Learning to live by putting into action what they are coming to believe and value. They may hear of a local issue (ie road safety) or an international event and request an action ie raising money, writing to … This can be done through school council, faith team, safeguarding ambassadors, but all children know they have the opportunity to share their ideas and know they will be listened to.