Spirituality

Spirituality at Saighton

Spirituality is a thread that runs through the whole of school life at Saighton Church of England Primary School and Pre-School. Through our curriculum, collective worship, school life and environment we aim to support each and every child’s spiritual development so that they may experience “Living fully with nothing excluded from (their) hearts.” Gerald May (Theologian)

Spirituality is about how we experience life and therefore how we live our own lives, making us aware of things that are bigger than ourselves and shaping our behaviour and outlook. Spirituality is not taught but is rather enabled and encouraged, with children and staff nurturing their relational awareness through opportunities for the connection of self, others, God and the world. We believe that it is through the development of these connections that our children are able to experience life more fully.

Guided by David Smith’s “Spiritual Capacities” (Interpretations of Spiritual Development in a Church School) we take a proactive approach to recognising and providing opportunities to promote spiritual development through stillness, reflection, curiosity, creativity and awe, as well as being moved to action. We aim to step into our children’s spiritual world and see through their eyes.

Inspired by the work of David Hay and Rebecca Nye we have worked together to create a shared language of spirituality so that the whole school community can clearly articulate and communicate their spiritual encounters and experiences. Supported by visual cues, we use the terms IN when considering self, OUT when considering others, UP when considering God and the beyond, and DOWN when considering the world.