Spirituality at Bishop Bronescombe

At BB, we are passionate about developing the spirituality of the children in the school. It is part of the vision for education, that Church of England schools will ensure the spiritual development of all children. But what is spirituality? It’s a very difficult thing to define because it means different things to different people. You don’t have to have a faith to develop your spirituality, it’s more about having an awareness of the outside world and the recognition that there is ‘something bigger’ than ourselves.

Our school definition for spirituality is this: 

"Spirituality is about seeking a meaningful connection with something bigger than oneself, which can result in positive emotions such as awe and wonder, and peace."

This year we have been exploring the concepts of making meaningful connections and of what 'awe and wonder' means through collective worships and explicit teaching of what 'Spirituality' is. 

Here are some quotes from some of our children as to what this all means: 

"Awe and wonder is when you look at something and you think "Wow, we live in a wonderful world."

"You can make meaningful connections by having empathy, by putting yourself in someone else's shoes."

"We can make a connection with God, or with nature."

"By making connections with something bigger than ourselves, we can make a change and we can make the world a better place."

"Awe and wonder is when something makes your jaw drop!"

"I practised awe and wonder this morning when I looked at of the window at the sunrise and I wondered whether the sunrise is the same in other countries."

'CAW' Time!

Every other Thursday afternoon we have a session of 'CAW' time. This is when the children focus on something within creation that makes them go 'CAW'! 

During these sessions we deepen our spirituality by trying to make a 'meaningful connection' by asking 'big questions' about God's world.

We have looked at the 7 natural wonders of the world and other awe-inspiring places in our world, such as, the Amazon Rainforest, Niagara Falls, The glow-worm caves in New Zealand and many more. 

In, Out, Up

One of the ways that we develop spirituality at BB, is by 'looking in', 'looking out' and 'looking up'.

Looking in: When we look in at ourselves and ask questions like: 'What makes me special?' 'How do I feel about that?' 'What do I believe in?' 'What are my values?' 'What are my talents?' 'What kind of person do I want to be?'

Looking out: When we look out we think about others and the world. We ask questions like: 'What can I do to make the world a better place?' 'What struggles do people face?' 'How might my actions affect others?' 'Who might need my help today?'

Looking up: This is when we look up to God or something bigger than ourselves. We ask questions like: 'What makes me stop and say "WOW"?' 'What am I thankful for today?' 'When do I feel a sense of awe and wonder or peace?' 'What questions do I have about life or the world?' 'What makes me feel closer to God?'

There are loads of things day-in, day-out that deepen our spirituality in school. So that we can celebrate and remind ourselves of these things we use 'Deepening spirituality' floor books. These include photographs and quotes that the children have given in response to things that we have done.