Journeying on
Since this magazine featured the village school of Great Wishford in 2005, it has moved from first to primary status.
Ali Jenkins, the head teacher is still at the helm, and steering a spiritually strong course through many changes. Someone who has seen the school grow and develop over those eight years is Louisa Halliday, Governor and non-stipendiary minister (NSM): “as with any school, there are changes, either imposed by the Government in the form of curriculum change and additional targets, or brought about through changes in the teaching staff. However, one constant has been the level and quality of spirituality, the quotes in the article in 2005 could just as easily have come from the children today”.
Although the spirituality of the school community has remained a constant, one change is its visibility: it is impossible not to be aware of the Christian nature
of the school, in classrooms, corridors, foyer and hall. There are now areas for prayer and reflection, with words put up on the walls that reflect the assembly themes, derived from the Values for Life scheme of work provided by the Dioceses of Gloucester, Bristol and Salisbury. The children set up, take part in and thoroughly enjoy daily worship, be it class or school based. “I think assemblies have made me more confident and everyone else as well”, was one child’s view. Another said, “…at first I didn’t understand what compassion meant but I think Gold Class assembly and the harvest baskets for the Old Age Pensioners helped me to understand better.”
But not only the pupils gain from that part of the school day. “Collective worship in the school is an excellent opportunity for finding a few moments of peace to contemplate deeper issues, re- group and reflect.” “The inclusive atmosphere gives cohesiveness
to the school experience. The children and adults learning and reflecting together give a sense of connection.” These are just two of the very positive views expressed by the teachers.
As Head, Ali has ensured that spirituality is not just for assembly time: “I have worked systematically with the staff to ensure that we do not merely do 20 minutes of worship in our day, but work to incorporate the values and aims we have for the school into all aspects of daily life.” This is evident in the way the school approaches visits to places that help the children to see the world in a different light. “We take care to arrange learning experiences that are relevant and stimulating. From the teaching of values I feel we give pupils the ability to gain a sense of community and wonder, and by basing these on our Christian tradition, we give them a firm foundation from which to compare and discuss with integrity the values of others.”
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rural spirituality
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