Collective Worship

At Littleham Church of England Primary School the children take part in a daily act of Christian Collective Worship during which we aim to encourage them to define their own beliefs and values. Parents can decide whether their children should take part in the daily act of collective worship in the school and those wishing to withdraw their children should inform the headteacher in writing. We have strong links with the local Churches, its clergy and congregation. The school participates in major festivals in church with special services and a weekly celebration worship.

We conduct acts of Collective Worship in a dignified and respectful way. We tell children that this time is a period of calm reflection. We regard it as a special time and expect children to behave in an appropriate way. As children come into Collective Worship music is usually played. We ask children to be quiet and thoughtful and to listen carefully to the teachings and participate fully in prayer and hymns. A candle is on during these times which is placed on a focus table with other artefacts.

The acts of Collective Worship are based around promoting the teaching of Christian values linked to our School Vision. We believe these values are clearly Christian in nature but are universal in their application. Collective Worship will also follow the traditions of the Christian faith and often reflect the festivals and events of the Christian calendar.

Throughout our Collective Worship a number of approaches are used:
  • A range of questions are used to help the whole school community reflect on each value;
  • Bible stories that are relevant to the theme;
  • Stories from world faiths, which illustrate the value;
  • The use of well known children's texts which support the value;
  • Interactive displays for children to follow up the discussions in Collective Worship.
A typical week of Collective Worship looks like:
Monday- Vision/Values or Pupil led Worship 
Tuesday- British Values or Celebrating what is happening in the world calendar 
Wednesday- Vicar led
Thursday- Spirituality 
Friday- Celebration Worship 
We regularly have our school vicar in to lead one of these sessions, the children either go to the church or welcome the vicar into school.  

Our collective worship is rooted in the Bible and provides opportunities for children to explore faith, reflect on their own lives and consider how they can live out our Littleham ABCs – Aspiration, Belonging and Compassion.

Our school vision, “Greatness grows from small beginnings,” is inspired by Jesus' teaching about the mustard seed. Throughout the Bible, we encounter stories of ordinary people, small acts of kindness and moments of courage that grow into something much greater.

Some of the Bible stories that particularly inspire our collective worship include:

The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Matthew 13:31–32
Our vision story. Jesus uses the tiny mustard seed to show how something that begins very small can grow into something great. This reminds us that every child has the potential to grow, develop and achieve great things, linking to our Aspiration value.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep – Luke 15:1–7
A story about belonging, care and making sure that nobody is left behind. It reflects our belief that every child matters and connects strongly to our value of Belonging.

The Good Samaritan – Luke 10:25–37
A powerful story about compassion, kindness and helping others, regardless of who they are. It encourages our children to look beyond differences and show Compassion to everyone.