Collective Worship
The King’s CE School week is punctuated by our worship together. These opportunities to pause and reflect, based on the Christian scriptures, the Church calendar and our school ethos, are nonetheless very much inclusive in nature. Pupils and colleagues of all faiths and of none are invited to consider our Big Questions of the week and, through thought and discussion, to be inspired and encouraged as they develop spiritually and participate and flourish in the wider world.
Form Worship
Tutors and their groups make time and space for worship together on a weekly basis. A candle is lit, the Bible is read and the text is explored in the context of our daily lives and relationships. Pupils will have the chance to reflect, to consider the impact of their thoughts on others and to make an individual response.
Every form group is invited to use the Faith Centre for their worship on a regular basis. The change in surroundings encourages a sense of increased wonder and an awareness of being in God’s presence.
All pupils are invited to take part in times of worship and some respond by agreeing to develop the skills and qualities needed to serve their peers as a Worship Leader.
Our school prayer is also used by form groups at the start of every day.
House Worship
Once a week each house meets together for worship and reflection led by a Senior Leader, the Chaplain, the Ethos Co-ordinator, Head of House or an external visitor. Our Bible text and Big Question for the week are unpacked and related to events in the world or in our lives together. Pupils are invited to reflect and may make a personal response during a time of prayer. Every form group will take a turn at preparing and leading our house worship once during the school year.
Whole School Worship
At least once every term there is an opportunity for us to meet together as a whole school in worship. More recently, this has involved form groups joining simultaneously in online worship from across the school but we look forward to the day when it will once again be safe for us to walk down to our local church and to worship there in person.
Our Christmas and Easter Services focus on telling and celebrating the stories of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus through readings, drama and music.
Christ the King Day at the end of November is celebrated in our school with a variety of workshops and activities including a time of worship together in which we consider what it means for Christ to be King in our lives and in our world.
The World Day of Diversity in May is a colourful and joyful day in our school calendar, much loved by pupils and staff alike, in which we celebrate the rich variety in our cultures, languages and traditions. We hold a time of worship in which we give thanks and remember what it means for us all to be created in God’s image and we pray for peace around the world.
Pupils from across the school and from every year group are very much involved in all these acts of worship as they provide the music, the drama, the readings and prayers in other languages.
Eucharist and other Special Services
Special services are held in September to welcome our new Year 7 pupils to the King’s CE School family and also in May to say ‘goodbye’ to our Year 11 and Year 13 pupils as they leave us. Our Year 7 pupils are also invited to a Christingle Service during Advent, in which Christingles are made and our ability to pass on light and hope to others is considered.
On 11th November we gather outside as a whole school for a short act of remembrance. This includes prayers for peace and the laying of poppy wreaths by some of our cadets.
A celebration of the Eucharist is planned for every pupil during our school year. Unfortunately these have sometimes been affected by the recent restrictions, but we remain hopeful that we may soon be able to offer the Eucharist again.
Our school worship calendar
Please click here to view our current worship calendar with Bible readings and themes for each week.
Staff Thoughts
Twice a week the staff body pause together to reflect on the Big Questions of the week. The reflection is led by a different member of staff each time, with most members of staff taking a turn on the rota.
Opportunities to Pray
Members of staff pray together every Wednesday morning for the life of our school and for the wider world.
Where possible, parents are offered the chance for a chat and a prayer with our School Chaplain during parents’ evenings and prayers are also offered at other times when we gather together such as presentation evenings and school concerts.
Our Faith Centre is open at the start of lunch every day for pupils who wish to pray and this facility is taken up every day by a number of pupils. There is also a prayer tree available in the Faith Centre where pupils can hang their individual prayers. When Restorative Practice is offered by our School Chaplain to heal broken relationships, a prayer will also be offered as part of the healing process.
Memorial Services
When we have experienced the trauma of death together as a school family, we have found it helpful to gather in worship and in remembrance of our lost sister or brother. These very moving acts of memorial have been largely planned by either the staff members or the pupils who knew the deceased person best, and facilitated by the Chaplain and members of the Senior Leadership team. The bereaved families have been invited to share in these occasions with us as part of our extended school family.
Please click here to view our School Worship Policy.