In Coningsby St Michael’s worship is central to the life of school and is a platform for exploring the school’s vision.  

As Jesus welcomes and values children, we at St Michael’s aspire to welcome and value all members of our community. We believe that this welcome and value provides opportunities for all to succeed.  

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18: v.2-5

• It is well planned and of high quality so that the whole school community is engaged on a journey of discovery, exploring the teachings of Jesus and the Bible. 
• For Christians in church, worship is about honouring God and responding to the loving nature of God as revealed through the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A school is not a church but is a collection of people who come from a variety of backgrounds for the purpose of education. The family backgrounds may be very different and collective worship must take account of the varied circumstances of adults and pupils.
• However, in Coningsby St Michael’s the purpose of collective worship will be to invite people to a threshold where they can witness worship and join in, if they wish.Through collective worship, pupils and adults will be offered a space and a place for the telling of the Christian Story. They will be offered an understanding of worship through being invited to participate in or observe prayer, reading and reflection on the Bible, liturgy, sacrament and experience of the musical and other imaginative riches of Christianity. Opportunities to reflect on the beauty, joy and pain of the world will be given. Pupils and adults will be given time to consider their responsibilities to others and to grow in love and service. Time will be given for celebration, both for the accomplishments of school members and to mark the seasonal festivals of the Christian calendar and those of other faiths. Pupils and adults will be offered time to be able to contemplate and develop spiritually. Collective worship in our school is invitational, inspirational and inclusive.

Our worship has 3 underlying principles:

• It is inclusive and contributes to the spiritual flourishing of all pupils and adults. It also contributes to the moral, social and cultural development of all pupils.
• It is invitational and respects the dignity of all participants.  
• It is inspiring and offers a range of experiences of Christian worship.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

It is invitational

• Acts of collective worship will:
• nurture and maintain the dignity of the image of God in everyone through working for social justice
• encourage pupils to consider the needs of others through charitable service and courageous advocacy;
• nurture reflection, stillness, meditation and prayer;
• provide pupils and adults with (age-appropriate) opportunities to explore the spiritual dimension of their lives through music, images and words. 
• provide a sense of occasion that is separate from the rest of the school day;
• foster an appreciation of the natural world and our shared responsibilities for maintaining it;
• develop clear partnerships between worship in the school and the wider community.

It is inclusive

• Our understanding of Christianity is that it is an inclusive faith which mirrors the attitude of Christ in the Gospels. Thus, we welcome children and adults of all faiths and none to our worship. Through their Christian character, our acts of collective worship will:
• recognise and celebrate the diversity of cultures, life styles, faiths and beliefs which exist in our school and local community;
• have an atmosphere in which everyone feels valued and safe;
• be appropriate for every student to attend;
• focus on issues and experiences which are relevant to the pupils;
• foster active roles of pupils, parents and members of the local community – in preparation, participation and leadership.

It is inspiring

• Our acts of collective worship provide wider opportunities to:
• promote wide ownership of our Christian vision;
• assist learners to have increased awareness and to reflect upon fundamental issues about life;
• enhance, complement and extend curricular work;
• develop pupils’ understanding of the Christian faith and Church (Anglican) practice through appropriate Biblical and liturgical content;
• encounter and explore Jesus’ teachings and the Trinitarian nature of Christian faith;
• identify opportunities for Christian celebration which can be associated with other school events;
• include appropriate references to and elements of other faiths and secular world-views;
• include opportunities to celebrate the academic, social, personal and wider achievements of pupils.

Worship is planned in relationship to our distinctive Christian vision and our associated values. A range of people are involved in planning and leading worship, including pupils. Timetabling of acts of worship includes engagement with the local church community and various groupings of pupils. Worship is regularly evaluated by a range of members of the school community. In addition, there are a range of opportunities for worship, prayer and reflection throughout the day. This list is not exhaustive and other aspects may be included at the discretion of the school.

Right to Withdraw

• We acknowledge the right of parents/guardians to withdraw their children from Collective Worship and of teachers to withdraw from leading Collective Worship. We acknowledge that parents/guardians/teachers do not need to provide a reason why they wish to Collective Worship. Should a parent/guardian wish to withdraw their child from Collective Worship or a teacher wish to refuse to lead Collective Worship, we ask that they inform the school [e.g. via the enquiries@ email address].
• We will endeavour to communicate clearly the inclusive nature of Collective Worship for pupils of all faiths and none, as well as its role in supporting the school’s vision and values, ensuring that parents have all the necessary information. However, should a parent or guardian request that their child be withdrawn from Collective Worship, we will not attempt to persuade them to change their decision.
• If a pupil is withdrawn from Collective Worship, the school is required to provide appropriate supervision, but should not incur any additional cost in doing so.
• Any queries regarding withdrawal from Collective Worship should be directed to the Headteacher.