Christian Distinctiveness

Collective Worship is central to the life of our school, helping to establish a strong sense of community by providing opportunities to celebrate, reflect and explore our core Christian values of Love, Service and Belonging. It is distinctively Christian in nature and is reflective of the Anglican calendar. It always includes an element of scripture, a spiritual song or hymn and prayer. Collective worship at St. Mark’s is a mixture of whole school worship on a Monday, led by either our Executive Headteacher, Head of School Primary, School Chaplain, Vicar or groups of pupils, weekly singing worship and class worship. The School Chaplain is available to staff, pupils and parents for their pastoral and spiritual welfare. Children and adults are encouraged to share and reflect on how the core message from the whole school worship impacts on their own lives, both at school and within the wider community.

To find out more about our Collective Worships, please look at the Collective Worship Policy.

Our aims for Collective Worship:

  • promote the spiritual, moral and cultural development of the pupils
  • be consistent with the values of the school
  • be quality learning opportunities relevant to the pupils’ experience
  • foster a sense of group identify and provide experiences of being part of a community, sharing the values of the school
  • provide a time for reflection on spiritual and moral issues and values, pausing from immediate concerns to consider fundamental questions and the importance of religious
  • beliefs of those who hold them
  • provide opportunities for pupils to consider and explore their own beliefs and those of other people
  • promote respect for the integrity of individuals and faiths
  • provide opportunities for pupils to worship if they so wish
  • encourage participation and response, for example, through active involvement or listening
  • provide opportunities to celebrate such things as achievement and special occasions, and to share feelings such as thankfulness, joy, friendship, sadness or hope