Being a Church School

We are part of the Church of England and we include the church, and people who work with the church, in our school family.  We visit the church regularly and involve people who work with the church in our worship.  As a Church of England School, our school vision has the Christian ethos at the centre and we try to model the teaching of Jesus through the Bible within our daily lives. We do not try to convert all our pupils to Christianity. We are proud to have pupils from other cultures and faiths and we enjoy learning about their different beliefs and traditions. We aim to nurture the children and give them the opportunities to become the best they can.

We are proud of the continuous improvements we are making here at St Mark’s to develop our vision and our culture of worship and spirituality so we can enable all pupils and staff to flourish spiritually and make a positive difference in the world. Take a look at some of our recent developments here: 

Collective Worship

It is a statutory requirement for all church schools to hold a daily act of Collective Worship. This is a good opportunity for us to meet as a whole school and take time to think and reflect. Our Collective Worship may take a range of forms such as celebrating success, welcoming members of the clergy or sharing work with others. Our collective worship is based on the Roots and Fruits scheme and offers time for themes and Bible stories to be introduced and reflected upon. There is also a focus on Faith in Action, British Values and Social Justice. All staff and pupils have opportunities to be involved in and/or lead worship at our school. Please follow the link to our full Collective Worship Policy

At St Mark's our Collective Worship aims to be inclusive, invitational and inspiring.

Through Collective Worship, we aim to give the children opportunities to:

• Recognise the place Christian faith has in the lives of people
• Develop a sense of wonder, awe, curiosity and mystery
• Understand the difference between right and wrong and the consequences of their actions for themselves and for others
• Be creative, questioning and imaginative within a broad Christian framework that recognises the importance of experience, personal values and respect for the beliefs of others
• Recognise, respect and celebrate cultural diversity
• See the relevance of Christian tradition in their own lives
• To be part of the planning process for Collective Worship so it is meaningful to them

Spirituality at St Mark's

Spirituality is reflecting and asking questions about ourselves, others, the world and beyond. ​

This leads us on a personal journey of understanding and growth about who we are on the inside and how we behave on the outside.

Spirituality is the way in which we combine our thoughts and emotions to reflect, respond and give meaning and purpose to the experiences that we encounter in life. At St Mark’s, we aim to provide education for the whole child to enable all pupils to flourish. We provide opportunities to promote spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development to prepare children for responsibilities and experiences of later life. Spirituality is a very personal experience and is different for every person. It can change during a person’s lifetime. Spirituality is not the same as having a religion or faith; a person can be spiritual without having a particular faith. There are many aspects to spiritual development and we should offer planned and unplanned different opportunities for children and staff to develop spiritually.  

The school aims to support each individual and encourage them to flourish. Pupils are encouraged to explore and develop their own values and beliefs (which may or may not be Christian), and to appreciate the richness and diversity of the world. This is coupled with the promotion of high standards of personal behaviour and positive, caring, attitudes - all based on firm understanding of Christian values.

Spiritual development cannot always be structured and opportunities may arise spontaneously out of the school day. A range of experiences and curriculum areas provide opportunities for spiritual development (for example, Circle Time, drama, PSHE, science, humanities, PE, music and RE) as well as special events, trips and experiences.

Our spiritual development links closely with our Collective Worship and both support and complement each other. However, spiritual development permeates all of the work of the school.

Spiritual Garden

Designed by our Worship Council, our Spiritual Garden offers a peaceful and calm place for children and adults to pray and reflect. All classes and members of our community have the opportunity to use this space for their collective worship. The worship Council have worked hard to make our garden a special place and they work as guides at break times and lunchtimes to support children with their reflection and prayer.

Welcome - please follow the link to view our tour of the garden