Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
GUIDANCE ON COLLECTIVE WORSHIP FOR COMMUNITY AND
FOUNDATION SCHOOLS NOT OF A RELIGIOUS CHARACTER
Medway Standing Advisory Council for Religious Education
1. Purpose of this guidance
This guidance has been prepared by the Medway SACRE to provide
support for community and foundation schools, except those of a religious
character:
 On the planning and conduct of acts of collective worship that
contribute to the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of
pupils
 In understanding the statutory requirements regarding collective
worship, and the responsibilities of schools and inspectors.
2. What does the law require1?
All pupils in attendance must take part in an act of collective worship daily,
unless they are withdrawn by their parents or those with parental
responsibility. Such worship should be in school groups, on school
premises, and may take place at any time during the school day.
Collective worship must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian
character, on the majority of occasions, having regard to the family
backgrounds, and ages and aptitudes of the pupils. It must not be
denominational, ie follow the order of a service in a particular church or
religious group.
3. Who is responsible for collective worship?
In community and foundation schools not of a religious character,
collective worship is the responsibility of the head teacher, after
consultation with the governors. Staff have the right not to lead or
participate in acts of collective worship. This applies to the head teacher
as well, though the head teacher is still responsible for the provision of
collective worship for the pupils.
4. What about assemblies?
Assemblies are meetings organised by the school, and have no special
status in law. They are often used as the time when collective worship is
provided but they are not identical with it. Teachers and pupils may be
required to attend an assembly (eg to hear notices or share in other school
activities) but cannot be required to take part in acts of collective worship.
1
This is not an authoritative statement of what the law actually means; only a court can give such a
statement.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
5. What is meant by ‘collective’?
Collective refers to a collection or school group of pupils, such as a class,
year or house group, or the whole school. ‘Collective’ is used in distinction
from ‘corporate’. Collective assumes nothing about pupils’ backgrounds or
beliefs. It does not mean the same as ‘corporate’ which assumes that the
members of the group hold a body of beliefs in common. Corporate
worship is characteristic of that found in religious communities, such as in
churches, mosques or synagogues. Worship in schools is intended to be
collective, ie suitable for pupils of whatever background or belief, not
corporate. It does not therefore have to be the same in character or
intention as in religious communities.
6. What is ‘worship’?
There are a variety of views of what constitutes worship. On the one hand,
worship may be defined according to its usage and practice in religious
communities, such as praise, dedication or homage to God or another
divinity. On the other hand, worship may be defined by its root in old
English “worth-ship” and so refer to any activity which celebrates or
enhances that which is of worth. The latter view is more open and flexible
than the former, which is characteristic of corporate worship in religious
communities. An essential element in collective worship is the opportunity
for the pupils to be able to respond to what is presented to them in a
personal way, for example through an activity such as reflection or singing
or prayer.
7. What does ‘wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character’
mean?
Collective worship is regarded as of a broadly Christian character if it
reflects ‘the broad traditions of Christian belief without being distinctive of
any particular Christian denomination’. This gives great flexibility and
scope to the kind of activities that may constitute collective worship. The
breadth of the traditions of Christian beliefs is wide, ranging from catholic
to evangelical, conservative to liberal, traditionalist to progressive. Within
and beyond this range Christians also believe in many human values and
qualities shared by people of other faiths and none, such as virtues of
courage, fairness and caring, as well as specifically Christian teachings
and beliefs, such as Jesus as God’s Son. Some aspects of Christian belief
about God are shared with other religions such as Judaism and Islam,
whose followers also believe in God as Creator or Judge.
8. So, what is an act of collective worship?
An act of collective worship may be interpreted widely as an act which
brings a school group to a point where they are able to make a shared,
reflective response to a divine being, power, ideal or value of some worth,
within the broad traditions of Christian belief on the majority of occasions.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
9. What is collective worship for?
There can be several purposes for collective worship, and a single act
does not have to serve them all at the same time. Among these are:
 To allow pupils space to reflect on what is going on in the world around
them
 To give pupils an experience of and opportunity for prayer
 To provide an opportunity for the pupils to worship God
 To establish and promote the ethos of the school
 To articulate and celebrate the school’s values
 To identify and reinforce the school’s sense of a community.
In short, collective worship seeks to help promote the spiritual, moral,
social and cultural development of the pupils as part of raising their levels
of achievement and providing a balanced and broad education of the
whole person.
10. What is meant by spiritual development?
This is not easy to describe. Ofsted’s latest guidance on this says
“Spiritual development is the development of the non-material element of a
human being which animates and sustains us, and, depending on our
point of view, either ends or continues in some form when we die. It is
about the development of a sense of identity, self-worth, personal insight,
meaning and purpose. It is about the development of a pupils ‘spirit’. Some
people may call it the development of a pupil’s soul; others the
development of ‘personality’ or ‘character’.”2 Briefly, spiritual development
is the enhancing of a pupil’s inner, reflective nature; that element of all
human beings that seeks meaning and purpose in life; and which is the
essential humanity of a person. It “touches the heart”!
11. What about special schools?
Special schools are required to provide collective worship in the same way
as other schools “in so far as is practicable”. Such worship must reflect the
aptitudes of the pupils involved.
12. What groups should pupils be in?
Normal school groups, ie groupings used for other purposes at school,
such as classes, year groups, key stage groups, or the whole school.
Pupils are not allowed to be put in faith groups for collective worship,
unless they are the subject of a determination3.
2
3
Promoting and Evaluating Pupils’ Spiritual, Moral, Social & Cultural Development, Ofsted, 2003
See section 15 for details of determinations.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
13. What about the foundation stage?
Pupils in nursery classes are not covered by collective worship legislation.
When pupils reach reception classes and become registered pupils in
attendance at school, they are required to take part in collective worship. It
is a matter of professional judgment for those working in early learning
settings as to how they provide opportunities for the spiritual, moral, social
and cultural development of young children below the reception class.
Reception class pupils may have their collective worship in their own
group or join with other school groups.
14. What about the sixth form?
Students in the sixth form are registered pupils of a school and the law
applies to them in the same way as to other pupils. When such students
become 18 they can withdraw themselves from collective worship rather
than their parents. Students in FE or tertiary colleges, which are not
governed by school regulations, are not covered by collective worship
legislation. Special provision applies for students in sixth form colleges4.
15. Are there any exceptions?
Apart from parental withdrawals of pupils, head teachers may seek
permission to exempt a particular class or description of pupils from the
requirement that their collective worship should be broadly Christian, on
the grounds that such worship is not appropriate for them because they
follow a different religion. They can do this, after consulting their governors
(who may wish to consult parents), by applying to the Medway SACRE
who will decide if this should be done. This process is called granting a
determination. A determination does not remove the obligation for pupils to
take part in collective worship itself. Alternative forms have to be provided
for pupils who are the subject of a determination.
16. Can pupils withdraw themselves?
Only when they reach the age of 18
17. Can schools withdraw pupils?
No. Governors and head teachers are under an obligation to provide
collective worship for all pupils unless they are withdrawn by their parents.
It is not legal for schools to invite parents to do this, nor seek to persuade
them to do so in any way.
4
Medway has no Sixth Form Colleges. For full details see Circular 1/94.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
18. What should happen to pupils withdrawn by their parent from
collective worship?
Although the parent has the right to withdraw the child, the school still has
a duty of care if the child remains on the school premises. Putting the child
in another room may require the child to be supervised by a teacher.
Some schools argue that they cannot spare another teacher to supervise a
withdrawn child, and insist the child remain in the same room as the
assembly, including during any act of collective worship that takes place,
though the child will not take part in it. Alternatively, a school may suggest
that the parent takes responsibility for supervising the child, though this is
unlikely to receive a positive response. Discussion of supervision may
sometimes discourage "frivolous" withdrawals!
19. What about other religions and collective worship?
All religions seek to provide for the spiritual development of their followers,
including young people. Whilst there are many real and significant
differences between religions, there are also many commonalities. Some
acts of collective worship can use material and reflect teachings from
religions other than Christianity (eg a reading from the Qur’an or stories
from Hindu sacred texts). This is permissible on a minority of occasions.
Many acts of worship can use material that is broadly Christian but which
is also shared by other religions (eg the 10 Commandments, or a reading
from the Psalms, shared by Jews and Christians). Pupils should not be
required to pray to or worship any deity contrary to their own beliefs. This
means that the use of prayers, readings from sacred texts and singing of
particular songs should be done with sensitivity and care, and should
follow some simple guidelines of good practice.
20. What are good practices?
In using prayers, leaders of acts of worship may like to use this sort of
introduction: “I am going to say a prayer that Christians would want to use.
If you want to join me, please listen and say Amen at the end. If you do
not, please remain quiet and think about what you would want to say.”
Most religious communities seem to find “Lord” as an acceptable form of
address in prayers.
In using readings from sacred texts, leaders of acts of worship may like to
say “I am going to read from the Bible/Qur’an/other, which is very
especially important to Christians/Muslims/others. Please listen quietly and
think about the words.”
In using songs, it is wise to choose ones that do not exclude or offend
pupils from varied religious traditions. For example, if there are pupils of a
faith other than Christianity, songs that involve pupils in worship of Jesus
as the Son of God may be inappropriate, compared with songs that offer
worship to God in a more general sense.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
Hymn practice is not in itself an act of worship, but could become one if a
hymn is specifically sung as an act of worship, or if the practice includes a
prayer which offers the singing to God.
Length: in general a short act of worship, which is meaningful, relevant
and enjoyable, is better than an act of worship that is long and becomes
tedious. There are no specific requirements about length. It is a matter of
common sense and good judgment.
Variety: There is value in ritual, so that pupils know where they are, can
enjoy the security of routine and become familiar with what is expected of
them. Similarly, there is value in a variety of leaders, activities and
settings.
Participation: pupils enjoy acts of worship in which they can easily
participate, as leaders, readers, organisers, and through being able to do
things, eg speak, sing, look, laugh, reflect, move.
Reflection: giving pupils the chance to think about things as well as do
things is important. The use of silence as well as activity is important. An
aid to reflection is the use of a focus, such as a lighted candle, a vase of
flowers, an unusual shaped object; a church school might wish to use a
cross. Atmosphere is also important. A sense of occasion, dignity and
specialness helps pupils to realise that the act of worship is an important
time which requires their concentration and attention. A good atmosphere
can be set by:
 reducing noise and extraneous movement,
 encouraging staff being present,
 using actions that are deliberate, ritualistic and dignified.
The use of music on entry and exit can be very effective in establishing
the sense of occasion and a good atmosphere.
21. Who are the best people to lead collective worship?
The best people are those who believe that the act of collective worship
has value to the pupils taking part. An act of worship led by a person who
can communicate in an appropriate way with the pupils and lead them in
an activity which has educational validity and integrity, honestly and
meaningfully, is by far a better person to lead an act of worship than any
particular category of people. Good leaders of collective worship may be
found among the teaching or other staff of the school, leaders or other
members of the local community, special visitors, or even pupils
themselves.
22. When should collective worship be held?
It can be held at any time during the school day, but not before the school
day begins, or after it ends.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
23. Where should collective worship be held?
It must be held on the school premises, but this does not prevent other
acts of worship, such as carol services, being held off the school premises.
Such other acts cannot constitute the daily act of collective worship.
24. What about a policy for collective worship?
Schools are advised to write and keep up to date a policy that describes
the principles and practice in their approach to the provision and
management of collective worship. Not only does such a document act as
a resource for those who may wish to know, it also provides a point of
unity of purpose and understanding for all members of staff, and acts as
guidelines for best practice. Such a policy should be agreed by governors
and staff.
An example of a policy used by one of Medway’s primary schools is
included at the end of this guidance. It is not intended to be a prescribed
policy for all Medway schools, but is meant to be a guide for any school
wishing to develop or review its policy on collective worship. Schools using
it would need to customise it to reflect their own approaches to collective
worship.
25. How is collective worship best planned?
This is for each school to decide, but the principles of planning worship are
little different from planning other school activities. Planning should be
long, medium and short term. Long term planning will relate to the policy
and its implementation. Medium term planning can consist of devising
patterns of provision ranging across a variety of forms and experiences, or
of themes around which the content of acts of worship can be planned.
These themes may be related to the calendar (eg Christmas), local events
(eg celebrations), the curriculum and its various subjects (including RE),
special school events (an award ceremony) or other topics. Short term
planning means planning each act in a similarly careful way to planning
any other education activity (eg a lesson).
26. Should any records be kept?
It is helpful to keep a brief record so that a school can:
 demonstrate it has provided a variety of good experiences and
opportunities for pupils,
 more easily evaluate its own provision and quality,
 check that the majority of acts are of a broadly Christian character,
 more easily report to the governing body,
 and avoid repetition for pupils.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
27. What about inspections?
Ofsted is required to inspect the legal compliance and quality of acts of
collective worship in community and foundation schools not of a religious
character, under section 10 of the Education Act 1996. The guidance they
have issued to inspectors states that inspectors must check that the law is
being complied with and that provision is of a high quality.
28. What resources are there?
Many books, magazines and websites provide ideas, material and
guidance on acts of collective worship. Some resources that teachers in
Medway have found useful are:
 Items from the RE boxes to act as aids for reflection;
 Rolling programmes of themes. Some suggestions can be found in the
example policy at the end of this guidance;
 Primary Assembly File;
 Websites such as http://www.culham.ac.uk/cw/
 Use of visitors from the Medway SACRE. SACRE intends to provide
further information on this;
 Themes for the week/day. Some suggestions are to be made available
by SACRE.
29. Is any training or advice available?
The Medway SACRE is pleased to give advice on collective worship when
asked.
SACRE will also make known any training events through the usual
channels.
30. Further reading
Circular 1/94 from the Department of Education and Skills gives further
guidance on collective worship. It may be found on the DfES website:
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/circulars/order.htm
Ofsted Inspection Framework, which may be found on the Ofsted website:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.displayfil
e&id=3266&type=pdf
Ofsted Guidance on Promoting and Evaluating Spiritual, Moral, Social and
Cultural Development, which may be found on the Ofsted website:
http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.displayfil
e&id=3598&type=doc
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
HALLOWEEN
The guidance on collective worship issued by the Medway SACRE in 2005
does not include any reference to Halloween. Halloween is becoming a more
widely celebrated occasion in England with much commercial pressure on
children and their families to celebrate it.
Background
Halloween (31st October) is a name derived from All Hallows’ Eve5, the day
before the Christian festival of All Saints Day (celebrated from 8th century in
Western Europe on 1st November). The following information comes from the
respected BBC Religion and Ethics website
In the early 7th century Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome,
formerly a temple to all the gods, as a Roman Catholic church dedicated to
Saint Mary and the Martyrs, and ordered that that date (May 13) should be
celebrated every year. It became All Saints' Day, a day to honour all the
saints, and later, at the behest of Pope Urban IV (d. 1264), a day especially to
honour those saints who didn't have a festival day of their own. In the 8th
century Pope Gregory III moved the date to November 1 when he dedicated a
chapel to all the saints in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Gregory IV made the
festival universal throughout the Church.
November 1 coincided with the Pagan festival of Samhain. Encyclopaedia
Britannica says this date may perhaps have been chosen 'in an effort to
supplant the Pagan holiday with a Christian observance', and this would have
been in line with the policy, suggested by Pope Gregory I of adopting Pagan
buildings like the Pantheon and festivals like Samhain to serve a Christian
purpose.
Over the years these festivals combined. The mass held on All Saints' Day
was called Allhallowmass - the mass of the Hallows. The night before was
known as All Hallows' Eve - which eventually became known as Hallowe'en.
All Saints' Day is said to be the day when souls walked the Earth. In early
Christian tradition souls were released from purgatory on All Hallow's Eve for
48 hours. There was a clear parallel to the Pagan belief that the spirits of the
dead could affect the land of the living on this night. It was celebrated much
like Samhain, with big bonfires, parades, and dressing up in costumes as
saints, angels, and devils. Together, the three celebrations, the Eve of All
Saints, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day were called Hallowmass.
Modern Christian Meaning
All Hallows is a preparation for the observance of the Feast of All Hallows or
All Saints. That feast gives the assurance that there is a state of being that
stretches beyond life here on this earth - an affirmation of the essential
spiritual nature of human life. People are made for more than can be
5
In Old English hallow means to bless, consecrate or sanctify, hence Hallows is an archaic word for
Saints.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
experienced over our lifetime spent in this world. The Apostle Paul
underscores that when he writes to the Ephesians, that the highest role
reserved for human beings is, as he puts it, "to rule with Christ in the heavenly
world. And God has done this to demonstrate for all time the extraordinary
greatness of his grace in the love he showed us in Christ Jesus". So this
Christian season brings a comforting reminder that there is a destiny designed
for humans that assures them of a continuing existence, and it's a promise
endorsed by Jesus when he spoke of the many mansions that he has
prepared for us.
Modern Celebration
Most of the Christian meaning of Halloween is now lost on most of the
population of this country. Shops and other organisations promote Halloween
through the use of pumpkin-lanterns and witch costumes, and many children
mark it with ‘trick or treat’ visits on neighbours. It has generally become an
excuse in modern life for people to have a good time.
Some concerns
These may include:
[a] the abuse of trick or treat, with reports of more or less serious incidents
that go wrong
[b] the emphasis on witches and the occult that vulnerable young people may
find hard to put into proper perspective, and which may stimulate an
unhealthy interest in such matters.
Guidance for schools
Schools should not feel compelled to use Halloween as a theme for assembly
or collective worship. If they decide to use it, schools should
1. focus on the Christian meaning of Halloween, explained above, and
promote its connection with saints, saintliness, memories of loved ones, or
people who are good examples to follow.
2. not encourage children to think that Halloween is about witches, spooks,
devils or other figures associated with the occult;
3. not encourage children to dress up as witches or other figures in school
time, in connection with Halloween
4. warn pupils of the potential dangers of trick or treat and discourage their
pupils from indulging in such activities unless they have the consent of
their parents or carers.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
AN EXAMPLE OF A SCHOOL POLICY ON COLLECTIVE WORSHIP
This example is not intended to be a prescribed policy for all Medway
schools, but is meant to be a guide and a set of suggestions for any
school wishing to develop or review its policy on collective worship.
Schools using it would need to customise it to reflect their own
approaches to collective worship. Italics indicate places where the
policy would need completion by any school using it.
Any Primary School Collective Worship Policy
Legal requirements
All pupils in attendance must take part in an act of collective worship daily,
unless they are withdrawn by their parents or those with parental
responsibility. Such worship should be in school groups, on school
premises, and may take place at any time during the school day.
Collective worship must be wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian
character, on the majority of occasions, having regard to the family
backgrounds, and ages and aptitudes of the pupils. Any such worship
should not be distinctive of any particular Christian denomination and
should take place on the school premises. Any act of worship that takes
place outside the school such as a carol service strictly must be in addition
to the school’s act of worship rather than in place of it.
The school prospectus contains information about collective worship
provided at the school, including letting parents know of their right to
withdraw their children from collective worship. The school seeks to
discourage parents from this believing that its provision of collective
worship is of value for all pupils in the school, irrespective of their
backgrounds.
Collective worship can take place at any time of the school day. It can be a
whole -school gathering or take place in any other school groupings.
What is an Act of Collective Worship?
Collective worship is not defined in legislation. Following guidance from
the Medway SACRE, in this policy, an act of collective worship is
“interpreted widely as an act which brings a school group to a point where
they are able to make a shared, reflective response to a divine being,
power, ideal or value of some worth, within the broad traditions of Christian
belief on the majority of occasions”.
DFE Circular 1/94 states that Collective Worship “should, in some sense,
reflect something special or separate form ordinary school activities and it
should be concerned with reverence or veneration paid to divine being or
power. However worship in schools will necessarily be a different
character from worship amongst a group with beliefs in common". The
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
legislation reflects this difference in referring to "collective" rather than
"corporate" worship.
Taking part in collective worship implies more than simply passive
attendance. Acts of collective worship at Any Primary School are designed
to elicit a response from pupils, even though, on a particular occasion,
some of the pupils may not feel able actively to identify with the act of
worship.
Aims of Collective Worship
The aims of collective worship are:






To allow pupils space to reflect on what is going on in the world around
them
To give pupils an experience of and opportunity for prayer
To provide an opportunity for the pupils to worship God
To establish and promote the ethos of the school
To articulate and celebrate the school’s values
To identify and reinforce the school’s sense of a community.
Management of Collective Worship
Who is responsible for Collective Worship?
The headteacher is responsible for arranging the daily Collective Worship
after consulting with the governing body. This responsibility is exercised
[a] in consultation with the RE co-ordinator who also acts as Worship coordinator in this schools and plans the themes which will be used by
teachers with their classes on class assembly days, and
[b] by a rota of staff taking whole school assemblies.
Teachers cannot be compelled to conduct or attend collective worship.
The governing body, however, see the act of collective worship as an
important part of the spiritual and moral development of all pupils and a
key element in the development of respect for others, integrity and
honesty.
Implementation
Daily collective worship is usually provided within a daily assembly, though
a daily assembly does not constitute an act of worship in itself. Collective
worship and assemblies are distinct activities, and although they may take
place as part of the same gathering, the difference between the two is
maintained. Collective worship is, nevertheless, related to the day to day
life, aspirations and concerns of the school. An assembly cannot replace
an act of worship.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
Grouping for collective worship
Monday
Whole School Assembly
Tuesday
KS1 Class Assembly
Classroom
KS2 Singing Practice
(includes an act of worship
linked to the week’s theme)
Key Stage group
KS1 Hall Birthday
assembly
Key Stage group
KS 2 Class Assembly
Class
KS1 Class Radio
Class
KS2 Class Radio for non
Singers group
Class
Wednesday
Thursday
KS2 Singers group in hall
(starts with a
reflection/thought for the
day)
Friday
Whole School celebration
Planning and Recording
Planning is long, medium and short term. Long term planning relates to
this policy and its implementation. Medium term planning consists of
devising patterns of provision and themes around which the content of
acts of worship is planned. The themes to be covered for the seven year
groups are as follows.
Celebration
Relationships
Communication
Specialness
Community
Values
Journey
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
Wherever possible these themes are linked to the current work of the
school, and reflect what is being taught in the curriculum and other
activities. The themes may also be related to the calendar (eg Christmas),
local events (eg celebrations), the curriculum and its various subjects
(including RE), special school events (an award ceremony) or other topics.
Short term planning is planning each act in a similarly careful way to
planning any other education activity. The short term planning sheet has a
section for theme and focus. (See appendix 1)
A brief record is kept (say where and how) so that a school can:
 demonstrate it has provided a variety of good experiences and
opportunities for pupils,
 more easily evaluate its own provision and quality,
 check that the majority of acts are of a broadly Christian character,
 more easily report to the governing body,
 and avoid repetition for pupils.
Music
Is used frequently, and is chosen by members of the staff. If possible the
music links with the theme for the week. (See appendix 2)
Resources








Staff resource books
Artefacts
Posters as appropriate
Music /Song Books
OHT hymn/song sheets
Audio tapes
Videos as appropriate
CDs
What about the foundation stage?
Pupils in nursery classes are not covered by collective worship legislation.
When pupils reach reception classes and become registered pupils in
attendance at school, they are required to take part in collective worship.
The school provides opportunities for the spiritual, moral, social and
cultural development of the youngest children below the reception class.
Reception class pupils have their collective worship in their own group or
join with other school groups.
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
Visitors in Collective Worship
Appropriate people from the community are involved in collective worship,
and are invited by the headteacher, in consultation with the co-ordinator, to
attend or lead acts of worship. Pupils may also help lead acts of worship.
The school has close links with (names of places of worship or local faith
communities where links have been established)
Conduct of Collective Worship
To allow acts of collective worship to be valued by the whole community,
staff and pupils, certain good practices are promoted by the school. These
are:








Including a variety of elements, at different times, such as music,
drama, dance, reflection, poetry, biblical extracts and extracts from
the other faith texts;
an environment of worship created by the use of artefacts, music
and quiet entry and exit;
involvement of pupils at all times;
a thought or theme to base the acts of collective worship on that
take place during the week;
a sense of being special and concerned with reverence;
whole-hearted commitment to providing the same high standards
that mark other such events as concerts, open evenings, etc;
appropriate behaviour of all attending, eg avoiding talking, taking
refreshments, writing or reading or other activities not conducive to
an act of worship;
being aware of the need to help pupils where issues have been
raised that are sensitive and provide a safety net for any pupil that
may be adversely affected;
Evaluation and Monitoring and Review of Collective Worship
Staff report back regularly to co-ordinator about class Collective Worship.
Through observation the Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and
governing body monitor, evaluate and review the implementation and
delivery of this policy.
The policy review date is (insert date).
Name of person writing policy and Date of policy
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
Appendix 1: Planning sheet for theme and focus
(insert) Term (insert) year
Theme (insert)
Week 1 (Insert theme
Date
Group
Type
Theme
Resource
Focus
M
T
W
Th
Fr
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Medway Collective Worship Guidance, 12 November 2004
Appendix 2 Planning sheet for assembly music
Date
Week and theme
Please sign
for your
chosen
week
Music
17