Spiritual Flourishing
Everyone to Thrive
At Temple Guiting Church of England School, we believe that everyone is created to thrive.
Our Christian vision, Everyone to Thrive, is rooted in Jesus' words:
“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10
We believe that thriving means developing as a whole person - mind, body, relationships and spirit. Spiritual flourishing is therefore an important part of school life for children and adults alike.
What do we mean by spiritual flourishing?
We believe our spirit grows when we have opportunities to wonder, question, reflect, connect, find meaning and experience awe and beauty.
We encourage children to develop their understanding of and relationship with:
SELF
Who am I? Who am I becoming?
OTHERS
How do I live well with others?
THE WORLD
What is my place and responsibility in the world?
BEYOND
What gives life meaning, purpose and hope?
These four areas are interconnected and provide a common language for exploring children's spiritual development.
Spirituality is everywhere
We look for opportunities for spiritual development across all aspects of school life, not just in RE or Collective Worship.
A moment of wonder in Science, discovering beauty in Art, exploring different perspectives in History, solving a challenging problem in Maths, being inspired by Music, spending time in nature, playing sport, developing a friendship or responding to a difficult situation can all provide opportunities to grow spiritually.
Our teachers are encouraged to notice these moments and help children make connections between their learning, their lives and the wider world.
We believe that spirituality should be naturally woven through the curriculum and everyday experiences, rather than added on as a separate activity.
Big questions
We believe that children need opportunities to ask questions that go beyond simply knowing what something is, and begin to explore why it matters.
Through both Collective Worship and class-based opportunities, children explore age-appropriate big questions that encourage them to wonder, question and think deeply.
These questions help children to develop their knowledge and understanding of:
SELF
Who am I? What makes me unique? How can I grow?
OTHERS
What makes a good friend? How should we treat people who are different from us? What does forgiveness mean?
THE WORLD
What is beautiful? What responsibilities do we have towards our world? Is it possible to make the world fair for everyone?
BEYOND
Why are we here? What gives us hope? Who or what do people believe created the world?
As children move through the school, these questions become increasingly challenging, encouraging deeper ethical, philosophical and theological thinking.
There is not always a single 'right' answer. We want children to develop the confidence to wonder, listen, question, reflect and respectfully consider different perspectives.
Worship and spiritual growth
Collective worship provides intentional opportunities for spiritual flourishing.
Through our pattern of Welcome • Encounter • Explore • Reflect • Respond • Flourish • Prayer, children and adults are encouraged to encounter Christian teaching, explore big questions, reflect on their lives and consider how they might respond.
Prayer is invitational. Children and adults may pray, listen, be still or simply reflect.
Our Spread the Word Worship Team, made up of volunteers from our wider community, joins us each Thursday to lead collective worship.
Each Wednesday, children also experience class worship. These smaller, more intimate gatherings provide greater opportunities for children to share their thoughts, ask questions, wonder together and reflect.
Children record their worship experiences and reflections in their class Spiritual Journey Books, creating a record of their developing spiritual thinking.
We also celebrate important moments in the Christian year in church, including Harvest, Christmas and Easter, alongside special occasions such as Pentecost, our Shoebox Appeal and Leavers' Service.
Rooted in Love
Love is our overarching Christian value.
Our understanding of love is rooted particularly in 1 Corinthians 13, which reminds us that love is patient, kind, enduring and hopeful.
Our six Christian values — Respect, Courage, Trust, Forgiveness, Perseverance and Friendship — help us to understand what this love can look like in everyday life.
We want children to experience these values, not simply learn about them.
Growing together
Spiritual flourishing is for everyone.
We want our children, staff, families and wider community to have opportunities to pause, reflect, grow and flourish.
Our hope is that every child leaves Temple Guiting with the confidence to ask questions, the curiosity to wonder, the compassion to care for others and the hope to live a purposeful life.
Above all, we want our school to be a place where everyone can thrive.