All publicly funded schools in England are expected by law to
provide a daily act of collective worship for all their pupils.
In Church of England schools this must reflect the traditions of
the Church of England.
That will usually mean the local vicar or other church members
will be regularly involved and, where governors decide it's
appropriate, school Eucharists (holy communion services) take place
in the school or the church.
A major new resource for schools, the Worship
Workshop has been developed. This provides
resources for daily worship drawn from the Anglican tradition and
includes a SongBank of 100 songs for worship with echo tracks and
accompaniment.
Teachers and families value the special dimension worship brings
to church school life. It aims to give pupils and school
staff alike the opportunity to:
- Express praise and thanksgiving to God
- Foster respect and deepen spiritual awareness
- Reflect on the character of God and on the teachings of
Christ
- Affirm Christian values and attitudes
- Share each other's joys and challenges
- Celebrate special times in the Christian calendar
Pupils of other faiths
Where church schools include pupils from other faith traditions
the beliefs and values of those pupils are also recognized. Stories
from other scriptures can be included in worship and provision for
specific religious observances (e.g. fasting) is made.