Daily Act of Worship

At Great Witley C of E Primary School we join together daily as a community. 

Our Collective Worship is usually split into sections;

- Gathering and Welcome

- Engaging

- Responding

- Sending Out

Gathering and Welcome

We gather together. We share a welcome greeting and response. 

Engaging

We will share the Bible story linked to the Christian Value or theme either through reading from the Lion Storytellers Bible, using a playscript, modern story, poem, artwork, artefacts or video.

Reflecting 

This is where we have the opportunity to reflect upon the story and message, allowing opportunities for pupils and staff to apply this to their own lives. Responding moves the story on from something that we've heard to something that shapes us. This is also our time of prayer.

Sending Out

This is the time of transitioning from this special time back into the school day and taking what has been learned in Collective Worship to the classroom, playground and home. It gives an opportunity to put into practice what has been explored and reflected upon.

The Right of Withdrawal from Collective Worship

The 1944 and1988 Education Acts state that parents have the right to withdraw children from Collective Worship and suitable arrangements should be made to accommodate these children.

On occasion, a parent may make a request for their child to be withdrawn from Collective Worship. If the parent asks that a pupil should be wholly or partly excused from attending any religious worship at the school, then the school must comply (this means that a parent may, for example, request their child does not take part in a carol service when otherwise the child takes part in daily Collective Worship.)

Parents may be offered the opportunity to discuss their request with the headteacher; however, parents are under no obligation to take up the offer of a discussion. The refusal of a parent to discuss their reasons with the head teacher must not impact on the decision of the headteacher to grant the request for referral.

Where parents have withdrawn their children from Collective Worship and request religious worship according to their faith or denomination, the governors and Headteacher will seek to respond positively to such requests providing:

• such arrangements can be made at no additional cost to the school;
• that the alternative provision would be consistent with the overall purposes of the school curriculum as set out in the Education Acts.