everyfaithmatters
Good Practice - Collective Worship
What is the impact of collective worship on the learner?
| We've taken our children into church - Muslims as well - but we don't do it every week - if we did there might be a problem. If you keep it to once or twice a year at particular times like just before Christmas then that time is acceptable to Muslims because they're coming to celebrate or have a service with Christians, the same as when we have an Eid celebration at school the Christian children join in and the Christian parents come. We don't have that at the mosque - we have it at school but it's to do with joining in each other's important dates. | Collective Worship at its best is simple and engaging. Some pictures on the screen with music and a poem can be really powerful. Simplicity moves children. We need to move away from words, and have the confidence to make time for reflection. Time gets filled with words rather than action. It's the only time we do something for children with no targets and it's crucial. |
| Everyone had a part in the nativity play. It made no difference as to background as to who had what part. All were singing - children and parents - and some were Christian choruses. This is to do with community with all coming together. It was a telling moment. The parents had real trust in the headteacher. | There's not once size fits all. In one school, Muslim pupils attend RE and Collective Worship but won't come to the church service at Easter. The 'deal' is that the imam comes to the school and pupils remember that this is an important time for Christians. It's a practice that works for that school. |
| Pupils who are withdrawn from Collective Worship were able to stay in assembly unless they were doing anything overtly religious. It can be easier for them if they are part of a group with a shared sense of security. | In Shrek, Fiona tells Shrek to take off his helmet. 'How do you think he felt?' was the trailing unanswered question. 'You can feel the silence' teachers said afterwards. But it took a lot of setting up. They'd moved 600 kids into the hall just for five minutes - but it was a triumph. |
| The shortest act of Collective Worship (at secondary level) - "I'd like you to remember the Inuit. They look after the elderly, they look after the young and they care for the planet. Just remember that." And they did! | It's easy to make presumptions about the way different faith communities respond to issues in Collective Worship. It was the Christians at my school who didn't like the use of candles. |
| A child came up to me after I had led Collective Worship. "Mister, I didn't say that prayer - it's not my religion." It's a positive sign, not a threat, if the child has this confidence. | At issue is the impact or outcome. It's not provision or content. If we believe this then we can promote short acts of Collective Worship. |
| We use open prayers to God rather than to Jesus so that all can share and join in. This is supported by the governors. | It's the story I tell in my way to those people. If we're not engaged, no-one else will be either. |
| We use language which avoids presuming commonality in faith - e.g. 'Christians believe' rather than 'we believe'. |
If you have encountered examples of good practice please email the Revd Andrew Wickens, Dudley Education Chaplain, on
