What is Spirituality?

Spirituality is a powerful force that determines what we are and our self-understanding. It forms the basis for successful relationships and shapes our behaviour and outlook on life, others and the world. As a school, we have defined spirituality:

“Spirituality is not something we can see; it is something we feel inside ourselves and it is bigger than ourselves. It is about awe and wonder, asking questions, inspiration and can be shared or be very personal.”

Our School and the Church of England's Vision for Education states a core desire that children will experience life in all its fullness (John 10:10). At St. John’s CE Primary School, we believe that we need to give all our children the opportunity to flourish into the people God is calling them to be. We believe that it is essential to explore Spirituality by educating the whole child, providing opportunities to be still and reflect, to explore their own spirituality and to respect others' spirituality. Spirituality enables our children to be happy, flourish and succeed and live life in all its fullness.

The four elements - what these consist of:

Self

• Awareness of feelings; ability to reflect and express
• Awareness of our uniqueness; happiness with who we are
• Gratitude for the things we have and the person we are
• Exploration of personal faith
• Development of imagination and creativity

Others

• Empathy and understanding; respect, tolerance
• To love and be loved (loving your neighbour)
• Making a difference; duty

Transcendence (Beyond)

• Encountering/experiencing God (having a sense of what lies beyond the material/physical)
• Ability to formulate and discuss the ‘Big Questions’ (eg about life, death, suffering, nature of God)
• Opportunities for prayer, connecting with God
• Making sense of the world

Beauty

• Developing a sense of awe and wonder
• Enjoying the miracles of everyday life
• Taking time for what really matters
• Appreciating beauty in art, music, nature

How it works for Belton

The spiritual growth of pupils is not only dependent on learning in RE; opportunities for enhancing the spiritual well-being of learners are developed in every aspect of our school life. We support the whole school community to share this responsibility and to develop the shared language of spirituality. Opportunities are available for all to develop spiritually in our supportive and nurturing school inspired by our vision and lived out through our Christian values. Specific areas have also been identified which contribute to the spiritual growth of pupils.